Wax Wonders: Unveiling India's First Wax Museum

Wax museums are no longer unusual in India. We have them in several cities now. But when Mother’s Wax Museum opened in Kolkata in November 2014, the concept was still relatively new to the city.

Located in New Town, opposite Eco Park, the museum was developed by the West Bengal Housing Infrastructure Development Corporation. It was clearly inspired by the idea made famous worldwide by Madame Tussauds.

The museum started with just 19 wax figures. Over the years, the collection has grown considerably.

What I liked about the museum was the variety.

You move from national leaders to Bengali personalities, from spiritual figures to film stars, and then suddenly find yourself standing beside a cricketer or an international celebrity.

Bengal Naturally Gets Its Own Space

Being in Kolkata, the museum gives considerable importance to personalities associated with Bengal.

Rabindranath Tagore is here.

So are Ramakrishna Paramahansa and Swami Vivekananda.

Mother Teresa, after whom the museum is named, naturally occupies an important place too.

For someone visiting Kolkata, these figures make more sense here than a museum filled entirely with international celebrities.

They connect the experience back to the city and Bengal.

Leaders and Personalities from Indian History

Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar are among the national personalities represented in wax.

This part of the museum has a different mood from the entertainment sections.

The figures are usually presented in familiar poses and costumes. Some are placed within simple recreated settings, making them look less like isolated statues and more like personalities caught in a particular moment.

That also makes photography more interesting.

And photography, of course, is a major part of visiting any wax museum.

Bollywood, Sports and Music

Move farther inside and the atmosphere becomes lighter.

Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan and other film personalities appear alongside cricketers, singers and musicians.

This is probably the section where most visitors spend more time taking photographs than reading anything about the personalities.

That is perfectly understandable.

A wax museum is meant to be interactive.

You stand beside the figure.

Change your pose.

Move slightly closer.

Try another photograph.

Sometimes the figure looks surprisingly real from one angle and much less convincing from another.

That itself becomes part of the fun.

How Real Do the Wax Figures Look?

This was what I found myself checking repeatedly.

The face is obviously the first thing we notice.

But look closer.

Hair, eyebrows, skin texture, eyes, fingers, clothing and even the way the figure stands contribute to whether it works or not.

Some figures are quite convincing.

With others, you immediately know something is not quite right, though it may take a few seconds to identify exactly what.

The better ones make you look twice.

That is probably the best compliment one can give a wax sculpture.

International and Fictional Characters

The museum is not restricted to Indian personalities.

International film stars and popular fictional characters also appear in the collection.

This changes the mood once again.

You may move from Gandhi or Tagore to a Hollywood personality, Mr. Bean or a superhero within a few minutes.

There is no attempt to maintain one serious theme throughout the museum.

And that is fine.

This is not a conventional history museum.

It is meant to entertain.

More Than Just Wax Figures

What makes a wax museum work is not merely the sculpture.

The setting matters too.

A figure standing alone under ordinary lighting can look artificial. Give it the right background, costume, furniture and lighting, and suddenly the photograph becomes much more convincing.

Some displays at Mother's Wax Museum use these surroundings effectively.

Instead of simply walking from one figure to another, I found myself looking at how each display had been arranged.

That added another layer to the visit.

Worth Visiting?

Mother’s Wax Museum may not be the place to go if you want to understand the ancient or colonial history of Kolkata.

The city has enough museums and monuments for that.

This is a completely different experience.

It is colourful, interactive and easy to enjoy without needing to know much beforehand.

And because the museum includes several personalities closely connected with Bengal, it does not feel like merely a local version of an overseas wax museum.

You may go there expecting to spend a little time looking at wax statues.

You will probably spend much more time posing beside them.

Keep your camera ready.

Happy travelling.