India: Kolkata to boast its own wax museum

Kolkata: India will soon have a Madame Tussauds-like (London) museum in Kolkata.

Laying the foundation stone for the museum, chief minister Mamata Banerjee told Gulf News, “This will be a landmark in tourist destination all over the country, where people get themselves photographed with world famous personalities.”

Appointed as the chief minister of West Bengal since 2011, Banerjee has been trying to develop the state into a tourism hub by making Kolkata and Darjeeling like London and Switzerland.

A 480 acre eco-tourism park has been built in Kolkata as part of development of tourism infrastructure.

“Our state has immense opportunity to develop into a tourist hub. Whether it’s the beautification of the banks of Ganga or creation of such museums all work towards the development of tourism in the state, which will be a key driver for economic development of Bengal,” said Banerjee.

The park includes attractions such as butterfly park, floating musical fountain, bamboo garden, fruit orchard, tea garden, and a mask garden.

Sources say that the government might seek help from Madame Tussauds for their wax museum. There has been a discussion about it between Banerjee and British Prime Minister David Cameron during his visit in November. The news is yet to be confirmed.

Banerjee’s critics are not happy with the latest developments.

“What the state need was high-end infrastructural development like freeways, bridges and flyover. Not such superficial development. It may turnout to be another white elephant for the state just like the park Mayawati had created during her reign in Uttar Pradesh, which is adored by her own statue and party symbols,” said a Congress party leader.

Although there has been no official confirmation of which personalities will be immortalised into wax, likes of Rabindranath Tagore, Kazi Nazrul Islam, and Mother Teresa will surely adorn the museum.

Artists, however, are worried about the statues not done properly which might have a negative impact on the art scene of the cultural city.

“When superstar Amitabh Bachchan’s wax model was created by Madame Tussauds, it had sent a team of highly skilled artists and clay modellers, who had various sessions with him to get his exact measurements and even took some of his personal belongings, which were used in the model. Hope this museum will adhere to such standards,” said a wax sculpture artist who had worked with Madame Tussauds in London.