Harshada Rege (DNA; January 31, 2018)

Varun Dhawan is the latest to join the ranks of Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Hrithik Roshan, whose statues are a major attraction at Madame Tussauds. The actor’s wax figure is now at Madame Tussauds, Hong Kong. He went through a five-hour long session to provide the right measurements for it. And yes, it has his trademark smile and six-pack abs, too. The actor talks about joining the exclusive club of icons around the globe who have been immortalised through these works of art...

You are the youngest Indian actor to have your statue at Madame Tussauds. How does that feel?
Getting a statue at Madame Tussauds, Hong Kong is a representation of the love and appreciation that has come my way. It’s also a massive honour to be the youngest actor from the Hindi film industry to have a wax figure. This is a dream come true for me. My parents travelled with me to see its unveiling.

How was the experience of getting your wax figure made?
The team is highly professional. The sitting took around five hours and they’ve captured every detail like my eye colour, the shade and texture of my hair. I was surprised when I saw my figure. It’s so real! It even includes my smile and six-pack abs (laughs).

Tell us a bit about it...
It has me in a signature dance move. I have also donated my jeans and a jacket for it!

This year seems to be an exciting one for you in terms of work...
I feel there’s so much that I can do, which I’m not attempting right now. There’s a lot more to explore. I’m excited as 2018 has started on a great note with this honour. Even my film October will release soon. It’s special as I’m trying to do something new in it.

Do you remember your first visit to Madame Tussauds?
I visited Madame Tussauds in London when I was six. It’s massive and has so many lifelike figures displayed under one roof. I remember seeing visitors taking photos with their favourite celebrities.