Kolkata's new London accessory: A museum like Madame Tussaud's

Her detractors might have laughed off her announcement that Kolkata will be soon turned into London, but Mamata Banerjee is not one to go back on her words. And in her attempt to London-ise Kolkata, Banerjee has now declared that the city will soon get a Madame Tussauds-like wax museum.

And guess whose wax statue will feature in the museum’s debut? No, not Rabindranath Tagore, but Shah Rukh Khan!

According to an article in The Hindu, a wax museum will soon come up in Rajarhat, on the north-eastern fringes of the city. The museum will occupy a 5,000 sq ft space.

The Hindu reports: “The names of other Bollywood stars featured in Chief Minister’s list of wax models are Lata Mangeshkar and Amitabh Bachchan. Ms. Banerjee has reportedly told her close confidants that the museum will be inaugurated in the next few months and will be named “Mother”."

A Times of India report says that some statues will be brought in from outside while some will be made in the museum itself.

The TOI report  quotes Hidco chairman-cum-managing director Debashis Sen as saying, “There will be both historical and current personalities. Initially, 10 to 12 statues are being planned for the museum."

However, a Google search reveals that while Mamata Banerjee plans to revamp tourism in the city with a wax museum, in another West Bengal district, an artist has set up his own wax museum.  Though Pranab Mukherjee might be slightly disturbed at the sight of his wax replica, you have to give the man brownie points for trying. Maybe, in his sculptures, Banerjee has a template for what to do. Or what not to do.