London-based wax museum reopens in Delhi after pandemic break

Have you always wanted to meet your favourite celebrities and click selfies with them? Well, now you can (almost) do so. Madame Tussauds India—the Delhi-NCR arm of the London-based wax museum that was first established in Regal Building, Connaught Place, in 2017—has opened its doors once again to the public. After shutting down operations in March 2020, in line with COVID-19 guidelines, the museum has reopened, and has a new address—fourth floor of DLF Mall of India, Noida. 

Spread across 16,000sq ft, this tourist attraction brings wax figures of about 50 celebrities from various fields, including history, sports, music, film, and television, all under the same roof. Speaking to The Morning Standard, Anshul Jain, General Manager and Director of Merlin Entertainments India Pvt Ltd (a visitor attraction operator), elaborated, “We have both global and local superstars, with a ratio of 60 per cent local and 40 per cent global stars. Whosoever is visiting will be able to click [pictures with] and in a way, meet their favourite superstars from various realms.” 

To make this meet-and-greet experience interactive, Jain adds that they have also included “props that people can use to take pictures with”. The museum will also host a small shop so that people can “take away souvenirs after their visit”. 

Among the list of celebrities, visitors will get a chance to take pictures with wax models of figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi; freedom fighters Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Bhagat Singh, Subhas Chandra Bose; cricketers Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, and Virat Kohli; Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, and Madhubala; singers—Asha Bhosle and Sonu Nigam—along with several global icons like Tom Cruise and others.

The space also houses a surprise for children by giving them a chance to meet cartoon characters Motu Patlu. “The public is often unable to meet superstars. The idea is to give them a glimpse of how their favourite celebrities look like in real life,” Jain concluded.

CHECK IT OUT
WHAT: Madame Tussauds India
WHERE: DLF Mall of India, Noida
PRICE: Rs 760 (children); Rs 960 (adults)