[Archive 2007-04-03] Bollywood star unveiled at Madame Tussauds

Historical archive — originally published 2007-04-03. This report records what was known on that date. It is not current news; subsequent events may have changed the situation. Wikinews closed in May 2026.

A wax figure of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has been unveiled at London’s Madame Tussauds.

The likeness of Khan, widely known as 'King Khan', has today become the third official figure of a Bollywood celebrity to grace the attraction.

Khan, star of over 50 films, specially flew to London to unveil his wax figure at the prestigious venue, with a special documentary on the actor's movie career showcased on the day. The lifesize model was uncloaked to applause and cheers from the crowd.

Artists from Madame Tussauds had spent time in India earlier this year in order to obtain precise measurements of the film star's physical features, face and hair.

Speaking of the privilege, Khan said, "It has been a lifelong dream since I visited the attraction as a child to be immortalised in wax and meet my very own Madame Tussauds double.

The actor met with special guests before spending time with British fans. He also met winners of competitions organised by the BBC Asian Network and Ikonz. Britain is believed to be home to one of Bollywood's largest fan bases within Europe.

Khan, 41, has in the past been described by TIME magazine as "the most recognisable actor in the world with an audience of 3.6 billion", while The Guardian once referred to him as 'the world's biggest film star'.

Other Bollywood luminaries represented at the attraction include Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai. Khan's wax figure is among the only 15 new figures created this year.

Madame Tussauds said they did not currently have any plans to create a figure of Shilpa Shetty, the Bollywood actress who recently won Celebrity Big Brother, but they hadn't ruled anything out.

Spokesperson for the attraction, Ben Lovett, stated, "We only launch 8 figures per year, and each takes a number of months to make, so it’s vital that we regularly ask guests who they want to see in the attraction. Madame Tussauds London has commitments until early 2008, which means Shah Rukh Khan will be the only Bollywood figure for this year.

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