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Indian Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan said he felt angry and humiliated after he was detained and questioned at a US airport, sparking an uproar in India among his fans.Khan, 43, one of India's best known actors, was enroute to Chicago for a parade to mark the Indian Independence Day on Saturday when he was pulled aside at Newark airport on Friday, he said.
"I was really hassled perhaps because of my name being Khan.
"These guys just wouldn't let me through," he said in a text message to reporters in India.
After a couple of hours' interrogation, he was allowed to make a call, he said, and he got in touch with the Indian consulate who vouched for him and secured his release.
"Absolutely uncalled for, I think. I felt angry and humiliated," said Khan, who had just finished a month-long shoot in the United States for his upcoming film My Name is Khan, which is about a Muslim man's experience with racial profiling. Khan "is a Muslim name and I think the name is common on their checklist," the actor told an Indian television channel by telephone from Chicago.
"I was waiting for my bags... I thought it was nice of them to take me to another room... but that was apparently a second check," Shah Rukh said, adding, "I had my papers in order."
"I was really taken aback," Shah Rukh told CNN-IBN television channel.
A US consul official in India told a TV channel they were inquiring into the matter.
As news of Shah Rukh's detention broke on Indian television channels, fans and actors began posting angry comments on the Internet. "Shocking, disturbing and downright disgraceful. It's such behaviour that fuels hatred and racism. SRK's a world figure for God's sake. Get real!!", tweeted actor Priyanka Chopra.
Indian Information Minister Ambika Soni told a TV channel that while she could not say if Shah Rukh had been detained "on religious grounds, there have been too many instances like these in the US concerning Indians".
Soni said frisking in the US was often done "beyond permissible limits".
"I don't understand how in the name of religion, frisking can be done for anyone like this," Soni later said.
Last month US-based carrier Continental Airlines apologised to former Indian president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for frisking him at New Delhi airport.Abdul Kalam was searched despite protocol rules at Indian airports exempting certain dignitaries from security checks. -- Reuters, AFP Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan's two-hour detention at Newark airport in the US over his surname had members of the Indian film industry fuming. Karan Johar was "shocked", actress Priyanka said it was "downright disgraceful" and filmmaker Kabir Khan termed it "harassment".
The 43-year-old actor was detained while he was on his way to Chicago to attend an event related to India's Independence Day and was freed only after Indian diplomats intervened. Here's what King Khan's friends and colleagues had to say: Karan Johar: I am shocked and upset...feeling terrible for Shah Rukh.
Priyanka Chopra: Shocking, disturbing and downright disgraceful. It's such behaviour that fuels hatred and racism. Shah Rukh Khan is a world figure for god's sake. Get real! Kabir Khan: When I heard this news, I was so surprised...it has almost become a routine if you have a Muslim name you are bound to be questioned. It happened with me thrice in the US I was stopped by immigration officials for three to five hours... they don't care whether you are a celebrity or whoever.
But when it comes to Shah Rukh, it doesn't take more than 20 seconds to figure out who he is any search engine (on the Internet) will give more information on him than Hollywood stars Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt and despite that if it took them two hours to figure out, then its harassment.
Post 9/11 it is prejudice to have a person's name and religion checked and it is very discouraging as well.
Pritish Nandy: This is the problem with law enforcers worldwide...Truly obnoxious. Cops don't want to recognise anybody. They love to show their power and authority, especially in the US.
Kunal Kohli: It's really disgusting. Even if they had done a Google search on their mobiles, they would have seen who he is. What were they checking for two hours on their super computers? To detain him for two hours is ridiculous, disgusting and an insult to us Indians.
Arindam Chaudhari: Shah Rukh has just finished his film "My Name Is Khan" in which his character tries to prove to the Americans that he is not a terrorist.I'm sure he never thought it would happen in real life too...What a shame! It's shocking and shameful because I am sure Shah Rukh would have had to explain who he is.
It's Shah Rukh so it's become big news. But there many who constantly go through this everyday. It's really sad.
Eesha Koppikhar: I am not sure of the exact events but if he was detained just because he is a Muslim with Khan as a last name, it is very wrong.
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