The new millennium has seen Amitabh Bachchan in the spotlight again, albeit in a different avatar. Bagging the No.1 spot on the BBC's millennium poll earlier in the year, he has undoubtedly been this years household favourite having charmed prime time audiences with his Kaun Banega Crorepati, the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire, which changed the TV ratings game in India. Now he joins the 400 other wax statues at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum in London. After an initial survey conducted by the British Tourism Authority to select an Indian film star for a statue, Bachchan polled the largest number of votes among the short-listed stars for the honour which included Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai and Anil Kapoor,

Now scores of his fans can visit the 200 year old Madame Tussaud’s to be photographed with his stand-in wax model. Bachchan, the only Indian film star to have his wax sculpture included here, joins the ranks of Hollywood legends James Dean, John Wayne, Marlon Brando, Alfred Hitchcock, Humphrey Bogart, Charlie Chaplin, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine, Anthony Hopkins, Nicolas Cage, Hugh Grant and Brad Pitt. Other Indians represented there are Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and P.V. Narasimha Rao.

Beginning his career in Hindi cinema with Saat Hindustani in 1969, Amitabh rose to fame with his performances in Zanjeer (1973), Deewar (1975) and the blockbuster Sholay (1975). Having reigned supreme in Indian cinema for almost 25 years, for generations of film-goers, Bachchan was the ultimate icon of the silver screen. Bachchan's films were always pure entertainment – he was the hero of the masses. With perfect timing his humour is a mixture of delightful mocking understatement and delicious exaggeration. With Kaun Banega Crorepati, there is an altogether different perspective of the aloof Bachchan – now grown accessible, compassionate and communicative.

Bachchan will be visiting Madame Tussaud's on Wednesday, 20th December to officially unveil his wax figure. The private unveiling ceremony is scheduled before the exhibition opens to public at 10 a.m. Bachchan has decided to give fans the chance to meet him by being available for the first half-hour of public opening time.