“He’s the only man I have stood so close to!” Salman Khan exclaimed, as he posed next to his waxwork when it was unveiled to the press on Tuesday at London’s Madame Tussauds museum. The bad boy of Bollywood, out on bail following his conviction for the shooting of an endangered species of Indian deer, was granted permission by the authorities to travel to the British capital for the event.
Whilst it is great to see another Bollywood icon being immortalised in wax, I question the motive in displaying a convicted felon as a role model. The reason is obvious: Bollywood is big bucks (pun intended) and increased Indian tourism to London means increased attendance figures at the popular tourist attraction, where an adult ticket is a whopping £16.
Khan, looking butch in his tight jeans, sequinned top and bracelet, was clearly impressed with his waxwork. He gushed about its bigger arms, sharper nose and the absence of a double chin. “I always wanted some competition, now I have it,” he beamed. I asked Khan if his waxwork was an accurate depiction of himself in every department. “I have not seen all of it but I am sure they would have done more than justice to me,” Khan smiled.
How does he feel to be the fourth dummy after Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and Shah Rukh Khan? “They are following me!” Khan exclaimed, adding that there was “nobody worth it to follow” him as the next Bollywood exhibit except, perhaps, Aamir Khan.
