The Indian press may have been full of reports that actor Salman Khan has turned down an offer from Madame Tussauds to put his wax figure in the London’s world famous museum, but Madame Tussauds confirmed on Thursday that Sallu Miyan had a change of heart. Questioned about reports of Khan’s reluctance to do a sit-in for the museum, Madame Tussauds spokesperson Ben Lovett told The Indian Express: “I can confirm that this is the latest, authentic news. Salman is our next Bollywood figure and he will sit for us soon.”
Earlier in the day, the museum announced that Khan would be “immortalised in wax after winning the world famous attraction’s public poll by a landslide.” Khan beat nine other stars including Madhuri Dixit, Abhishek Bachchan, Hritik Roshan, Rani Mukerji, Karan Johar, Kajol and Lata Mangeshkar in a poll conducted in August this year by Madame Tussauds alongside Brit Asian entertainment magazine Ikonz and BBC Asian Network.
According to Lovett, “over 10,000 fans and visitors voted in our poll. The Asian market is critical to our attraction and our association with Bollywood, particularly the launch of Shahrukh Khan earlier this year, has seen a dramatic increase in the number of Asians, from both the UK and abroad, visiting and enjoying Madame Tussauds. We hope to build upon this exciting relationship with the unveiling of Salman.”
The museum adds 15 new statues every year. When Shahrukh’s statue was unveiled earlier this year, thousands thronged to Madame Tussauds, making it one of the busiest events of the year. Almost every Indian tourist who came to London made it a point to have a picture alongside Shahrukh.
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