I Think ,I would Avoid Coming to United States Now- Shah Rukh Khan

New Jersey: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who was detained for as long as two hours early on Saturday at the Newark airport in the US, thanks to his surname ‘Khan’, has reacted strongly to the episode calling it uncalled for.

Speaking exclusively to Zee News about the incident that has left him deeply saddened, Shah Rukh said, “I am devoid; it hurts your self respect. I don’t want to make an ego issue out of it but I think I would avoid coming to this place now.”

Further elaborating on the episode, Shah Rukh said, “I was made to answer silly questions which had no relation with a legal and a general interrogation. They didn’t let me use my phone for an hour. I was travelling alone as the US consulate hadn’t allowed a visa to my bodyguard who coincidentally has the same name. As it is I am quite reluctant in coming to the US and I would make sure that I avoid it in the future.”

When asked what he had to say about Ambika Soni’s statement on the issue where she had called for frisking laws to be made stringent for foreigners in India, “the way they are in US”, the actor said in a lighter vein, “Yes, perhaps that way you can frisk and grill Angelina Jolie too.”

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was detained at the US airport of Newark in New Jersey, and was questioned for over two hours, reportedly because of his surname.

He was allowed to go only after Indian Embassy officials vouched for him.

Shah Rukh was reportedly on his way to Chicago to attend an Independence Day parade.

Speaking to NDTV over the incident, Shah Rukh said his name popped up on their computer, and then he was taken for questioning.

“My name popped up on their computer. I was taken to a room for questioning. I was questioned for two hours,” said Shah Rukh.

The actor said that he was not even allowed to use his phone.

“This is not the first time this happened to me. I am glad my family was not travelling with me,” he added.

However, the actor denied the incident to be racial bias.

Reacting to the incident, Shah Rukh’s close friend and Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar said that he was shocked at the incident. He also said that Shah Rukh was upset over the whole episode.

However, Shah Rukh is not the first Bollywood personality to face such harassment. Kabir Khan, director of hit films like ‘Kabul Express’ and ‘New York’, was denied a visa initially because of his surname.

Talking to NDTV, Kabir Khan said that such incidents have been happening since 9/11.

The incident comes close on the heels of the ex-president APJ Abdul Kalam being frisked earlier.

PTI adds:

Reacting to the incident, Shah Rukh said that after he was stopped he sent messages to his home, his secretary and Congress MP Rajiv Shukla, who informed the Indian Mission which came to his rescue.

“I have always been worried about travelling to America. I shy away from all this. I don’t look like a terrorist going to do anything to the country,” he said.

“I did feel bad. I felt angry. I am glad my family wasn’t there. God knows what they would have done to them,” Khan added.