How to stop traffic by putting on your dancing shoes? Brother -Bahn Santosh Kumar, aka Babu Footlozers, 58, and 53 -year -old Sajesh Kumar did the same on Manavam VD on Saturday evening. As the dynamic pair broke into some killer tricks, people who stayed for a while. He had two students, Sajit Vishwanathan and Vipin Raveneran to give him a company.
Think Breakdance and Thiruvananthapuram had an address in the late 80s – footlosters. Even though the Dance Academy has adapted to the changing times, Babu and Sajesh, the founders are happy to make the headlines again. Thanks for Moonwalk, A film, which currently streams on OTT, bounces through the lives of some youth in Thiruvananthapuram, which was emotional about breakdance. The story is inspired by many real -life people and events.
“Vinod [Vinod AK, director of Moonwalk] Initially, a documentary was planned to be made on Breakdensors in Kerala. Thanks to the work going to the project, the community was rejuvenated. The current generation has no clue about how we learned style and became popular when there was no social media. Babu says, “It was nice to be in the headlines again.
Early member of footlosters | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The early members of his group were his friends from Government Arts College – Padmakumar BS, Praveen Sadashivan Pillai, Ajit Kumar and Rias Hussain. Sajesh, then a school student, Srikumar and Anil Bose later joined. “We found a video cassette on street dance groups in America and it was a treasure for us. Since we could not buy a VCR, we were at the mercy of those who had one. We used to see it on a repeat mode to learn the feet,” Babu remembers.
He practiced in a place behind the college. Sajesh, who joined a private college, used to join him during the interval. “We had a tape recorder, and the battery would die within an hour. We will pool in money to buy new!” Sajesh says.
Thanks to a non-teaching staff at Arts College, he received his first show in Pairingmala. “We were then known as Crimers. The crowd was surprised to see the style and he loved it,” Babu recalls. As the interest increased, he started dancing classes at his home, “Charging as entry fee and 80 and a monthly fee ₹ 60”.
Babu Footlosters alias Santosh Kumar (left) with Sajesh Kumar | Photo Credit: Nirmal Harindran
He also set new trends in fashion. “While my hair was thin and long, Babu ChettanSajesh says, “There were curly. I followed cricketer Raman Lamba’s hairstyle. Acid-wash jeans, baggy pants etc. were then in vogue. We come to Melody at Spencer Junction, from where we could buy them and wore bright, colorful T-shirts with loud design. In fact, we all provoked our style. Of course, we had a lot of women fans. Fashion became a passion for us! “Babu says.
Kochi also had a vibrant breakdance community, but his styles were different. “When they wore attractive, shiny costumes and lots of items, we chose for ‘gentlemen’ look – black pants, white shirts, gloves, etc., we bought steel studs from the ride market, fixed them on a Rexin sheet and tied them on our waist and wrist,” Babu says.
His popularity was shot after a program in Chenganur. By then the group was named footlozers, inspired by an English song, and registered it in 1988. “Since my dream was to become a stunt man in cinema, I knew active and martial arts. We included those who were involved in our dance routine and we got an edge over others,” Babu says.
He jokingly says that since he did not know the names of the steps he used Kodename. “It was much later that we learned words like mule kick, worm, windmill, crabwalk, swipe, knee spin, neck roll, back flip, air cartwheel, etc.,” Babu says. Locking, popping and isolation moves were characterized by Babu, Sajesh performed excellent in slides, moonwalks, windmill, waves etc.
Sajesh also finished first in the All-Kerala Breakdance competition held in Kochi. “My father did not want me to go because he felt that I had no chance in front of experienced dancers.” Chettan Encouraged me, and asked me to take my bike and go to Kochi, “Sajesh says. He also went on a four-month tour in the UK with the dance group, Atkalari in 1997-98. However, Babu fractured his thigh bone and returned to 2000 while trying a new trick in the mid-90s.
Now they or their students take classes in their studios (currently being rebuilt) and various schools in the city. “We kept receiving the students who have become a solid dancer. It is now the fifth and sixth generations taking classes. As our work is now being discussed, many of our old students are in contact with us,” the brothers say. His disciples are Sreejith P Dazzellers who used to come on their bikes from Kochi over the weekend for classes. There are branches of footlozers in Kerala and West Asia.
Some of the few members of the footlosters. Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Babu remembers how he used to roam in search of opportunities to perform. “We just wanted a platform to show what we learned,” they say. In addition to being choreographer or assistant in over 65 films, Babu also acted in short roles. He has also changed the producer and is waiting for the release of his first film. He said that “during that time there were some other breakdance troupes such as spindle by Tom Antony and boomers by Ajit Nath and Aneesh Nath. Then there were Padmakumar who made a name with his Michael Jackson Chal.”
While reflecting other dancers of the time, he mentioned Johnson Master, who pioneered the scene in Kochi. “I taught in Kalabhavan [in Kochi] At his invitation. Then there is Shelton from Thrissur, who was extremely exaggerated when he came to robotic acts, “he said. Kottayam was also popular from Kottayam, says Sajesh.
In 2023, Babu and Johnson went viral on social media when he performed at an event to be a Felicate organized by a YouTube channel KL7GARY. “We were thrilled with the response. Some of those who commented, some of the current popular choreographers and dancers in Bollywood and Hindi reality shows,” Remember Babu.
The pair insisted that the current generation does not want to learn pure breakdides. “There is little interest in style. Meditation is now on step and rhythm,” Sajesh says, “Our dream is to organize a program for Breakdance, especially in Thiruvananthapuram. We have been planning it for some time.”
Published – July 09, 2025 06:55 pm IST
