On Wednesday, when her wax statue was unveiled at Madame Tussauds in Singapore, Kajal Aggarwal had the distinction of being the first female South Indian actor to be immortalised thus at the museum. Dressed in a purple pantsuit, Kajal unveiled her wax figure amid a cheering gathering that included her family members.
Fielding questions later in the day, Kajal tells MetroPlus , “There’s an immense sense of gratitude; I’m overwhelmed and humbled by this honour and recognition by Madame Tussauds Singapore. I am happy and grateful for all the love, support and encouragement because of which I’ve been able to achieve this milestone.” When the team from Madame Tussauds contacted her about this, at first she didn’t believe it. It sunk in when she got an official email. “I had tears in my eyes. I was overwhelmed with emotions. I felt a lot of joy but at the same time I felt humbled and responsible for wanting to supersede my personal expectations as well as the expectations that people around me have,” says the actor.
Kajal debuted in a supporting role in the Hindi film Kyun Ho Gaya Na (2004) but the Telugu and Tamil film industries put her in the spotlight, before she courted Hindi cinema again years later. The wax statue, says Kajal, feels like recognition of her work and, “I think it is one of the nicest and sweetest rewards that I have got for the past 15 years of hard work. I asked Madame Tussauds what were the criteria of my selection and they said it’s based on the body of my work and on popular demand. And [the selection was] after screening by a panel of 30 members around the globe, their discussions as well as the voting of fans.”
The actor vividly recalls the preparations, when she spent a day with the London team to give her measurements: “Every part of my body was measured — my nails, my hair, the colour of my skin, eyes, teeth, hair — everything was selected and approved by me. I selected the posture and expression, and the outfit and styling was by my wonderful stylist Archa and this amazing designer who came on board, Yusuf Alrazmi. He gave us this wonderful outfit that weighs eight kilograms and is made of Swarovksi crystals.”
The euphoria surrounding the recognition is yet to fully sink in, but Kajal pauses to mention that it’s a matter of pride for her family who have been supportive of her journey: “[There have been] a lot of sacrifices on part of my parents and my sister and for all of us, it is a moment of pride and it’s emotional.” Looking ahead, Kajal states that she feels more responsible than before as an actor and a public personality. There are personal and professional goals she’s set for herself: “I feel responsible for the kind of work I do, the impact it has on society, and the influence I have on people. I will try my best to live up to it,” she signs off.
