Delhi’s Madame Tussauds: Two years after shutting shop at Connaught Place, museum to reopen next month at new address in Noida

A wax statue of Indian cricketer Virat Kohli at Delhi’s Madame Tussauds. (Express Photo)

The company added that “they have chosen the new location for Madame Tussauds as it is one of the best malls in the country and caters to the population from Delhi/NCR and Uttar Pradesh”.

The opening attractions will have close to 50 figures of celebrities and superstars from five different zones – History and Leaders, Sports, Music, Bollywood, Hollywood & Film & Television. The attraction will have interactive zones and various props which visitors can have fun with and click selfies with their favourite superstars.

A wax statue of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at Delhi’s Madame Tussauds. (Express Photo)

The museum will keep adding new figures of Indian and global stars on public demand periodically, said the company.

Some of the key figures to be displayed at Madame Tussauds Noida include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Bhagat Singh, Subhash Chand Bose, cricketing legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev and Virat Kohli, Bollywood actors such as Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Madhubala, and singers Asha Bhosle and Shreya Ghoshal, among others. A special addition for children comes with cartoon characters like Motu-Patlu and others.

It was in December 2020 that the Delhi arm of London’s famous Madame Tussauds wax museum had announced its plan to shut shop. In fact, ever since Madame Tussauds Delhi was launched in November 2017, it had received a tepid response from visitors.

A wax statue of Amitabh Bachchan. It was in December 2020 that the Delhi arm of London’s famous Madame Tussauds wax museum had announced its plan to shut shop. (Express Photo)

Anshul Jain, general manager and director, Merlin Entertainments India, had put the lukewarm response for the Central Delhi outlet on the location. “Even though it was a prime location, we realised in due course that there were a lot of issues — encroachment by illegal street vendors, hawkers, parking issues, CP’s Outer Circle being a no-stoppage zone, and the place being overcrowded and unsafe for visiting families with small children,” he told The Indian Express.

The company had invested a substantial sum in designing the CP outlet and worked out a unique 60:40 model, wherein 60% figures were based on local personalities and the rest were selected from among the museum’s international galleries.

Jain had told The Indian Express in 2020 that they are “certainly looking to explore other options in the NCR” for the attraction to reopen. “Public behaviour will change after the pandemic. People would like to visit places that are more ventilated and where all safety hygiene protocols could be followed,” he had said, adding that they were exploring options at high-end malls in Noida or Gurgaon.