SHAH RUKH KHAN WAXES POETICAL
For once, the gregarious Shah Rukh Khan didn’t have a word to say. He stood as still as a statue – oh, what am I saying – this Shah Rukh Khan was a statue – a wax one at that! The famous tourist attraction Madame Tussauds , the wax museum in Times Square has now immortalized superstar King Khan, and throngs of fans came to see him holding court in the Bollywood Zone. Several vibrant dancers from the Bollywood Axion Dance Company surrounded him, lip-synching to the soundtrack from ‘My Name is Khan.’
Usually, you can’t get anywhere near King Khan but now that there was no security detail surrounding him, the fans really came out to play, living out their fantasies. Some put an arm around him, others hugged him, some even managed to steal a kiss! All the time the cell phone cameras were clicking – and it certainly made for some great memories and great keepsakes for the fans. Whole families – dad, mom and bacchas – had turned up to take photos with Shah Rukh, and teenagers stood around making moon eyes at him.
While Ashwariya Rai (the wax one) had come only for a visit some years back from London, fans will be happy to learn that Shah Rukh Khan is here for good and joins Amitabh Bachchan in the newly created Bollywood Zone. So are we going to see more Bollywood stars at Madame Tussauds, besides Shah Rukh khan and Amitabh Bachchan? Two stars – big as they are – seems a very small number in the Bollywood universe.
Well, according to Rosemary del Prado, Director of Marketing, it all depends on who the visitors want to see next. Only a few figures are added every year because the cost can range from $150,000 – 200,000, so it pays to let your choices be known. The cost is so astronomical because a team of 20 experts are involved in creating a single waxwork and include everyone from hair specialists to colorists and wardrobe stylists. It can take three to four months to create a waxwork. As del Prado explained, each hair has been individually inserted on Shah Rukh’s head so that it can be easily shampooed and restyled. No detail is too small – the veins in his eyes have been recreated with red silk thread!
For those who would have loved to take King Khan home, the good news is they can – in the form of the DVD of ‘My Name is Khan’ from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, and which was timed to be released with the launch at Madame Tussauds.
Every SRK fan has probably seen the movie several times over but the DVD has new features including the changing face of Bollywood, the Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol friendship, along with behind-the-scenes shots of the movie as well as music promos for ‘Sajda’ and ‘Tere Naina’. More information at Amazon
At Madame Tussauds, as the fans hung around King Khan, they would have been delighted to learn that sometimes these wax incarnations of Bollywood stars even leave Madame Tussauds for the larger world outside. According to del Prado, the wax Amitabh Bachchan, for instance, is all set to participate in the India Day Parade on August 15, clad in his rich velvet sherwani. Indeed, Indian-Americans are so besotted with Bollywood, one day they might even want to make him the Grand Marshal of the Parade!
(All Photos – Gunjesh Desai & www.masalajunction.com)
Here’s a look at the Shah Rukh Khan wax image at Madame Tussauds in London and a simultaneous look at the real and fake King Khan!
Have you seen King Khan at Madame Tussauds?
What did you think of him?
