Ranveer Singh accepts Madame Tussauds of the Future Award at star-studded IIFA Awards

Bollywood superstar to be immortalised in Singapore and London in 2020

SINGAPORE - Media OutReach - 20^th September 2019 - Last night, Bollywood superstar Ranveer Singh walked away from the 20th International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards with two new accolades under his belt and the exciting announcement that he will join Madame Tussauds' superstar line-up next year.

Best known for his roles in films including Padmaavat and most recently Gully Boy, the Forbes India Celebrity 100 regular walked away with the Best Actor gong and Madame Tussauds of the Future Award. Adding to the night's significance, the IIFA's glittering Homecoming Edition event which marked the illustrious awards ceremony's 20^th year, took place in Ranveer's hometown of Mumbai.

A star-studded audience of Indian cinema's top talent -- including Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Madhuri Dixit and Deepika Padukone -- was there to see Ranveer accept his award and announce his upcoming figure.

"Wow, I'm damn excited. This is amazing. I remember as a kid I used to be an encyclopaedia geek and they used to talk about this mythical place called Madame Tussauds. I was going through my Mum's early pictures and I would say, 'Mum, where did you get a picture with The Queen?' and she would say, 'that's in Madame Tussauds London.' Since childhood it's always been a very mythical place for me so to be immortalised as a figure there is truly a very, very proud thing for me." said Ranveer, upon accepting the Madame Tussauds of the Future Award.

Andre Timmins, Co-Founder-Director- Wizcraft International, said, "IIFA has always been at the forefront in promoting Indian cinema in various facets and has always endeavored to act in the best interest of the Indian Film Industry to build better avenues for community engagement, cultural exchange, business and trade, tourism and cinema ties. For our homecoming edition we celebrate another successful year for IIFA and Indian cinema we are sure that it will be Magical memorable experience for all."  

IIFA Awards and Madame Tussauds Singapore have been collaborating since 2017 when the IIFA zone was launched exclusively at the Singapore attraction. Since then many icons of Indian Cinema have launched their figure and a new interactive zone 'The Ultimate Film Star Experience', opened in 2019 at Madame Tussauds Singapore.

 "It is a tremendous honour to establish a fruitful partnership with IIFA all these years. We are definitely looking forward to having Ranveer Singh's figure join the rest of the stars such as Salman Khan, Karan Johar, Shahid Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit at our new Ultimate Film Star Experience -- the world's largest figure collection of Indian superstars.", said Alex Ward, General Manager of Madame Tussauds Singapore.

The newly launched UFSE spanning 2,500 sq ft, brings guests on a journey through the glitz and glamour of Indian cinema culture from the moment they step through the door, where they can audition, act and dance alongside their favourite movie heroes. The unique experience utilises cutting-edge technology like Kinect and AR to give visitors the chance to step into the limelight: https://youtu.be/EmLdC8Vhzq4

About Madame Tussauds

Madame Tussauds is the ultimate celebrity experience and the world's best known and most popular wax attraction. There are currently 24 Madame Tussauds attractions around the world.  Each of the attractions is unique and tailored to the host city and visitor demographic to feature both local as well as international figures. These attractions are continually endorsed by celebrities, sports stars, royalty and global politicians.

Founded in London in 1835, Madame Tussauds' amazing wax figures are so high quality and so lifelike that even the celebrities themselves do a double take when they see them -- and all in stunning interactive themed sets designed to excite, amaze, and surprise, including some with unique animated features! And, with no bars, ropes or barriers around the figures, visitors will have no problem believing that they really are standing beside their heroes and the photographs taken with favourite stars will be a special memory for ever.

The result of 200 years of expertise and painstaking research every figure takes Madame Tussauds' gifted sculptors a minimum of three months to make, and costs more than $300K (Singapore dollars). Most contemporary figures are also produced following sittings with the celebrities themselves and are the result of hundreds of separate measurements, hours matching skin tone, eye and hair colour -- with every individual hair inserted separately. Celebrities and film studio wardrobe departments often supply clothing for their figures, or designers will reproduce significant or iconic outfits as exact replicas, only for Madame Tussauds. Inclusion in one of Madame Tussauds attractions around the world is seen as a huge honour and recognition of an individual's contribution, status and achievement.

About Merlin Entertainments plc

MERLIN ENTERTAINMENTS plc is the leading name in location-based, family entertainment. Europe's Number 1 and the world's second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates more than 110 attractions, hotels and holiday villages in 23 countries and across 4 continents. The company aims to deliver memorable and rewarding experiences to its almost 63 million visitors worldwide, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its managers and 26,000 employees (peak season). 

Merlin currently has different brands in Asia including Madame Tussauds, LEGOLAND Parks and Resorts, Sealife and LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Visit http://www.merlinentertainments.biz/ for more information.