LONDON- Indian superstar actor Shah Rukh Khan posed for photographers with his life-like double on Tuesday at the unveiling of his effigy at London's Madame Tussauds waxworks.The 41-year-old heartthrob dedicated the model to his mother, who always believed her son would be honoured in the waxwork hall of fame.
"Like all mums, my mum felt that I would be in Madame Tussauds one day," Khan told Reuters in an interview at the venue.
"She thought I was very good-looking, and she thought that it was enough criteria to get to be here. But I wish she was alive, for her it would have been very important.
"I never visited Madame Tussauds, because somewhere deep inside my heart I felt I would come here when my wax work was here. So it is a cherished dream for my mum and for me and it has been fulfilled."
The actor, believed to be Bollywood's highest-paid performer with a huge Indian fan base, joins screen stars like Hollywood 'A'-listers Tom Cruise and Angelina Jolie at Madame Tussauds, but he was unsure if he would be working with them for real.
"It is not my wish to go to Hollywood, it has to be the wish of Hollywood to decide," he said, when asked if it was his ambition to break into the U.S. film market. Few Asian stars have managed to appeal to audiences in both regions.
"They (Hollywood) are bigger than us, they are the bosses," added Khan. "So unless they want to employ us, we are nobody to be sending our resume there and hoping we get a job. But I am very, very happy doing what I do."
Khan was the third Bollywood star to appear at Madame Tussauds, where Aishwarya Rai and Amitabh Bachchan also figure.
Madame Tussauds witnessed a gala event to welcome Shah Rukh Khan, as his statue found abode in the prestigious Madame Tussauds wax museum. The long haul came to an end on 3rd April 2007, when his statue was unveiled before an excited audience.
Shah Rukh flew down to the London museum with wife Gauri Khan. The proud duo posed next to his wax statue, which looked like the exact replica of Khan, thanks to the precise measurements of his physical features taken earlier this year. Shah Rukh experienced a grand reception from the management.
As a part of the promotions, Madame Tussauds designed a typical Bollywood-style poster saying “Shah Rukh Khan stars in Madame Tussauds”. The visitors had a chance to get their personalized copy of the Bollywood poster, after being photographed with the actor. Whether they would have been lucky enough to pose with SRK in person instead of his wax statue is uncertain! A 50-minute biopic showcasing Khan’s journey to stardom was screened after the statue was uncovered. All in awe of Khan, the museum’s library also stocked his pictorial biography Still Reading Khan.
SRK’s wax statue stands tall in the museum now. It is hard to distinguish the real Khan from his imitation. The similarity between the two is simply outstanding!