Madame Tussauds Delhi, shut since the nationwide lockdown announced on March 20, will not reopen at all. This comes despite the company earlier having announced an investment of 10 million Euros in India when it launched Madame Tussauds Delhi in November 2017.
However, there are rumours that its looking for a cleaner, less congested site for reopening Madame Tussauds that people can visit unperturbed, without any concerns about the COVID-19 infection. The museum housed life-like wax statues of 50 famouse personalities, with the likes of Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Lady Gaga, and cricketer Virat Kohli etc., that were a big attraction with lovers of cinema and popular culture.
Anshul Jain, general manager and director of Merlin Entertainments India Private Limited, told The Indian Express that the lukewarm response for the central Delhi outlet on the location. “Even though it was a prime location, we realized in due course that there was 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 said. “Generally, we work on a 40:60 model, but the Indian market is different.” The company had invested a substantial amount in designing the CP outlet and worked out a unique 60:40 model, wherein 60 per cent figures were based on local personalities, and the rest were selected from among the museum’s international galleries.
Also Read: More entertaining times ahead as home grown apps’ popularity, user base surge
Jain said they are certainly looking to explore other options in the NCR for the attraction to reopen. “Public behavior will change after the pandemic. People would like to visit places that are more ventilated and where all safe hygiene protocols could be followed.”
