In a hologram world, Mahatma Gandhi, Narendra Modi and more

By Reya Mehrotra

The hologram of Subhas Chandra Bose installed at India Gate in Delhi has given rise to heated debates on the necessity of the move. However, the first-of-its-kind hologram statue has also managed to capture the attention for being a unique idea. We bring you the most famous hologram projections from around the world.

Michael Jackson

In 2014, Michael Jackson ‘reappeared’ onstage at the Billboard Music Awards to perform ‘Slave to the Rhythm’ with a band and dancers. It could happen after months of planning, choreography and filming. Dressed in gold jacket, white T-shirt and red trousers, he enthralled the audience. A special stage was set up for his performance and Jackson was seen rising from a throne, and then breaking into his trademark steps, including a moonwalk. The song belonged to Michael Jackson’s second posthumous album Xscape which was released in 2014 and made up of a previously unreleased track.

PM Narendra Modi

The Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose hologram is not the first time that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has toyed with the idea of holograms. Back in 2014, while he was campaigning for Lok Sabha elections, he used his holograms several times to reach a wider audience at the same time. In fact, at that time, he became the first political leader to use the hologram technology in election campaigns. He had also used the technology in 2012 while campaigning for state elections. His move also received international attention as none other politician had tried to harness the technology during campaigning.

Abdel Halim Hafez

Thanks to holograms, Dubai citizens have been treated with a musical surprise. Late Egyptian singer Abdel Halim Hafez has come alive through a show dedicated to him at the Dubai Hologram Universe at the Al Habtoor City Theatre in January this year. The Dubai Hologram Universe will feature more such hologram concerts by veteran musicians at least twice a week. The tribute concert for Hafez called ‘Sawwah’ had his hologram sing his famous songs as live musicians and dancers performed with him.

Elvis Presley

Back in 2007, Elvis Presley surprised the world by ‘coming to life’ and joining singer Celine Dion on stage in an episode of American Idol. The duo sang Presley’s If I can Dream. The once-in-a-lifetime performance of the two singers was made possible by using a body double to copy Presley’s performance and body movements from one of his previous concerts. A hologram of Presley was then superimposed on the body double to give it a life-like effect. However, last year, Elvis Presley’s estate confirmed that the legendary icon wouldn’t have wanted his holograms performing and so, a hologram tour of Presley anytime soon was not a possibility.

Subhas Chandra Bose

On January 23, PM Narendra Modi unveiled Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s hologram statue at the India Gate. The installation of the hologram marks Netaji’s 125th year birth anniversary. The move came after government’s decision to put out the Amar Jawan Jyoti flame that had been burning for five decades at India Gate. The hologram is powered by a 30,000 lumens 4K projector and will be in place till the granite statue is completed. The hologram statue is 28×6 feet, the same height as the granite statue.

Mahatma Gandhi

The International Day of Non-Violence which is celebrated on October 2 was marked in 2019 in an unusual way with Mahatma Gandhi ‘appearing’ for a lecture on ahimsa. Mahatma Gandhi’s life-like 3D hologram was put up at UNESCO Paris through which the audience was addressed and Gandhi’s philosophies were explained. The talk was organised by UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) and was hosted by India’s permanent delegations to UNESCO. The question-answer format panel discussion referenced his writings and covered topics like ahimsa, satyagraha, kindness, critical inquiry and education.

Bamiyan Buddhas

Two monumental Buddha statues were blown up in 2001 in Afghanistan by the Taliban. However, on the anniversary of the destruction, the Bamiyan Buddhas were reinstated through 3D projections starting 2013. The statues, called Salsal and Shamama by the locals, were said to have belonged to the 5th century and were 55 and 38 metres tall, respectively. In 2013, a mini festival ‘A Night with Buddha’ was started which had a projection of Salsal, the taller Buddha, in the spot where it earlier stood.