In artistic endeavour, Madame Tussauds is to London what the Louvres is to Paris, the city of love. You don’t simply land at the mega cosmopolitan hub called London to merely see the Buckingham Palace or the try and spot the Queen.
Fans of espionage may seek myriad pleasures in the cloak and dagger world of the Vauxhall Cross, the home of Her Majesty’s Secret Service- British Intelligence, among the most secretive organisations in the world.
Today, no visit to London can be deemed complete without visiting the legendary Madame Tussauds. And in case you were wondering the reason is only to behold the legendary waxworks of world’s leading sports icons, political figures, iconoclasts of popular culture alone then think again.
The fanfare of Bollywood- or the Indian Film Industry- is not only a fundamental hit back in the country of its origin, i.e., India. It’s a huge craze in England. Stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai and Mr Amitabh Bachchan have always enjoyed a cult status in England and Madame Tussauds pays a great homage to these sensational celebrities in its own wonderous beauty.
So, that leaves us with the single most important question. Which Bollywood stars have got the coveted magnificent wax replicas at Madame Tussauds. In case you or anyone in your family is about to visit the land of Joe Root, Sir Winston Churchill or Theresa May, then it will make a lot of sense to come visiting the following favourite Bollywood personalities in the heart of England:
Mr Amitabh Bachchan
Perhaps, with all due respect to arguably the most stylish and suave spy ever- 007- it won’t be a misnomer to say that only a few gentlemen have the legendary status to simply state their surname for the world to fall at their feet. Mr Bachchan’s statute is the first-ever Bollywood star’s waxwork to be installed in the timeless museum of ‘transcendence’.
The way one says Bond, James Bond, when it comes to the crux of Bollywood movies, Mr Bachchan can simply go about saying, “Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan.” No further introductions are needed, at least in his case.
Madhuri Dixit
There was probably no one in India in the peak eighties or nineties who wasn’t aware or in love with this charismatic beauty. Even as Madhuri has aged gracefully and doesn’t really feature in mainstream films all that more, her peak fame behind her, there’s little doubt about the sense of timelessness of her personality.
Amongst the most-visited and photographed wax replica at the famous Madame Tussaud’s is Madhuri Dixit’s- something you cannot miss once you are here.
Salman Khan
He may be called the Bhai in terms of endearment but Salman Khan is the ladies man. In fact, for the longest time, one has wondered whether who has the maximum number of female admirers and perhaps, it won’t be a misnomer to suggest that Salman Khan has as many fans as does the “King of Romance” Shah Rukh Khan. Amongst the most admired waxworks in all of Madame Tussauds is that of our own Bajrangi Bhaijaan, often also known as Sultan. His imagery is very dude-like in the legendary museum.
Shah Rukh Khan
In the realm of the Khans, it doesn’t quite get bigger or better than a certain Shah Rukh Khan- the emperor of the hearts. He is to Bollywood what romantic sagas are to the Indian film industry or legions of fans who seek in films a respite from problems. Shah Rukh Khan’s waxwork is a fantastic creation which debuted in 2007. Interestingly, even at the Madame Tussauds museums in Sydney, Berlin and Singapore- there’s the engimatic presence of the one and only king of hearts.
Hrithik Roshan
Some call him the Greek God. Others call him a stylish dude. But there are only a few who can ignore this unmistakably handsome actor from Bollywood, India. Hrithik Roshan found his coveted waxwork back in 2011 and on the occasion of the inauguration(or installation) of the same, the actor was present in London’s legendary residence along with his then-wife Suzanne Roshan.