SRK Sunshine Khan Fan Club # 44!! - Page 94

(US): Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was detained at Newark airport for two hours.

Published by: Amit Tiwari
Published: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 at 11:46 IST

The actor was released after Indian embassy intervened into the matter. However, the reason behind the arrest is yet to be ascertained.

The King of Bollywood today arrived at Newark Airport in United States to attend the Independence Day function here.

The security officials at Newark Airport interrogated SRK for two hours.

The arrest was unfortunate as SRK is globally acclaimed celebrity. The Bollywood fraternity has slammed the USA for this behaviour.

Director Mahesh Bhatt said that SRK is a global icon and US authority should be fair on Shah Rukh Khan. Another actor Farookh Sheikh described the move as unfortunate.

Ironically, when Richard Gere arrived in India, he was given a red carpet welcome and while an Indian film personality was arrested during his trip to USA.

The incident occurred after the Shah Rukh Khan has inked deal with Fox Star Studio for marketing and distributions of Karan Johar's next flick 'My Name is Khan'.

http://www.samaylive.com/news/shah-rukh-khan-detained-in-usa/647325.html

SRK held at Newark-NJ airport, questioned
CNN-IBN

New Delhi: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan was reportedly detained at the Newark-New Jersey airport on Friday night when he was in transit to Chicago.

According to CNN-IBN Entertainment Editor Rajeev Masand, Khan – who was on his way to Chicago to attend the Indian Independence Day celebrations there – was detained by the airport officials and questioned for two hours.

It is, however, not clear why SRK was put under detention but Masand reported that he was allowed only one phone call during the period and was let off only after the intervention by Indian embassy officials.

Incidentally, Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming releases include Karan Johar's My Name is Khan which has jehad as its theme.

Fox STAR Studios will finance and distribute the film, reportedly spending Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion/$20 million) in the process.

Shah Rukh Khan is one the biggest and the most-recognised Indian stars and has been conferred a number of international honours and accolades.

In October 2008, Khan was conferred the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka, the highest honour conferred in Malaysia, equivalent to "Sir" in British knighthood

He was also honoured with an honorary doctorate in arts and culture from Britain's University of Bedfordshire in 2009.

But its not the first time an Indian actor has been detained.

CELEB DETAINEES

Irrfan Khan was stopped for questioning not once but twice. The first time at Los Angeles airport. He was there to receive an Independent Spirit Award for The Namesake. The actor claims he was detained because he is a Muslim.

Neil Nitin Mukesh were also detained in a similar fashion but at New York airport, where he was scheduled to shoot for Yashraj film New York. Immigration Authorities allegedly stopped Neil because they couldn't believe he was from India.

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/srk-detained-at-newarknj-airport-questioned/99258-8.html?from=twitter

KJO Tweets: "shocked and upset...feeling terrible for shah rukh...."

Priyanka Chopra Tweets: "Shocking,disturbing n downright disgraceful.Its such behavior that fuels hatred n racism.SRK's a world figure for Gods sake.GET REAL!!"

Shibani Bhatija: "If arguably the most famous Khan in the world (save Genghis) can be stopped at US immig how much worse is it for the ordinary Khans?"

Vishal Dadlani: "This is plain silly!! I mean, a quick internet search would tell them what they need to know about SRK!! Paranoia breeds stupidity, I guess!"

I don't wish to participate in US' religious paranoia : SRK

Updated on Saturday, August 15, 2009, 14:04 IST
Spicezee Bureau

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."

"This has happened with me before and that's why it concerns me all the more. As it is I shy away from coming to the US because I don't want to participate in their paranoia about religion and everything that the US has developed into over the years. I don't want to say that it happened because I am a Muslim as it may lead to something else, but I think it had something to do with that only. We can only avoid this by not coming to the US," added Shah Rukh.

Suggesting what can be done to avoid such embarrassments, the actor said, "I guess they need to modify the system. I am sure they can do much better than this, being the advanced country America is."

The actor ended up by saying, "This particular episode makes me appreciate our independence one million times more. I need an incident like this to strengthen my faith in God further. I am looking forward to coming back to my country."

http://www.zeenews.com/news555566.html#

Shah Rukh's detention has Bollywood shocked, disgusted

August 15th, 2009 - 6:03 pm ICT by IANS

New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) 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.

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/...100232950.html

Bollywood livid over treatment meted out to Shahrukh

Business Standard

/ Mumbai August 15, 2009, 16:30 IST

'Shocking', 'disgraceful' and 'madness' is how Bollywood today reacted to the detention of Indian cinema icon Shahrukh Khan at a US airport, apparently because of his surname.

His close friends Karan Johar, Farah Khan, Juhi Chawla and Aziz Mirza as well as industry veterans like Mahesh Bhatt and Raza Murad slammed the the ill-treatment meted out to the megastar.

"Shocked and upset... Feeling terrible for Shah Rukh...," Johar, a well-known film director, wrote on his twitter page while Juhi said the detention was "as absurd as Brad Pitt coming to India, being strip-searched, investigated and interrogated".

Choreographer-turned director Farah Khan, one of his closest friends, asked, "if he can be discriminated (on the basis of religion), who else is left. Shahrukh was on Time Magazine among its 50 Most Influential People. It is not only discrimination but lack of knowledge also."

Filmmaker Bhatt said, "it is shocking that Shahrukh Khan, who is by every definition a global icon, should be subjected to something like that".

Actress Priyanka Chopra, who had worked with Shahrukh in 'Don', termed the incident as "disgraceful". "

Shocking, disturbing and downright disgraceful. Its such behaviour that fuels hatred and racism. SRK's a world figure for Gods sake. GET REAL!!," an angry Chopra wrote on her Twitter page.

Khan, one of the most prominent faces of Bollywood on the global stage, was on his way to attend an Independence Day celebration function in Chicago when he was detained and questioned for two hours at Nerwark Airport.

His detention is not the isolated case for Indian film industry. Malayalam superstar Mammootty too was detained at the JFK airport recently because of his middle name 'Ismail'.

Irrfan Khan, who faced a similar problem last year in US despite his global fame following the success of 'Slumdog Millionaire', said, "we should point out loopholes in their airport security system".

The other film personalities subjected to such treatment include 'New York' director Kabir Khan and Neil Nitin Mukesh. Kabir had alleged that he had to go through the security drill thrice despite being cleared the first time.

Kabir, who made a movie on the paranoia towards Asians in the post 9/11 US society, said it is a clear case of fear psychosis. "Shah Rukh just happens to be a superstar so we took notice of it. It is happening everyday.

"You just type his name on google and you get more hits than Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise combined. There is a clear element of arrogance in the entire episode," he said. Filmmaker Aziz Mirza, who directed Shahrukh first in TV serial 'Circus' in 1980s and hit movies like 'Yes Boss' and 'Chalte Chalte', felt that whatever the US authorities had done was "sheer madness"."Shah Rukh is a big star. Everyone knows him everywhere. The security officer might have done it out of his personal agenda and he might have done it in the garb of law," Mirza said.

Veteran actor Raza Murad said that the incident was a clear case of "racial discrimination".

"This is clearly a case of racial discrimination. They are going out of their way to humiliate Indians and if they come to know a passenger is Muslim, they try to discourage him from visiting the US," Murad said.

"Shah Rukh has shot several films in the US. If they had any doubt about his identity, they could have surfed the Internet where there are over five lakh images and references about him," Murad added.

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/bollywood-livid-over-treatment-meted-out-to-shahrukh/70890/on

Riteish Deshmukh Tweets: "US Immigration- Please GOOGLE SRK."

Shah Rukh's detention: Fans burn Obama's effigy in Varanasi

Published by: Amit Tiwari
Published: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 at 17:59 ISTF Prev Next L

Varanasi: Fans of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan today burnt effigy of US President Barack Obama.

The people of ancient holly city were protesting against the frisking of Shah Rukh Khan at Newark Airport in USA.

The actor has long list of fan followings and his detention was major set back to them.

It seems that the protest against USA will be intensified soon as the news of his detention spreads further.

The Government of India has also launched its complaint against US embassy in India.

http://www.samaylive.com/news/shah-rukhs-detention-fans-burn-obamas-effigy-in-varanasi/647443.html

Bollywood Star Held In U.S. Airport, Fans Outraged

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Indian Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan said he felt angry and humiliated after he was detained and questioned at a U.S. 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 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.

A U.S. consul official in India told a television channel they were inquiring into the matter.

As news of Khan's detention broke on Indian television channels, which have played up attacks in Australia on Indian students, fans and actors began posting angry comments on the Internet.

"Shocking, disturbing n downright disgraceful. It's such behavior 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 television station that while she could not say if Khan had been detained "on religious grounds, there have been too many instances like these in the U.S. concerning Indians."

Last month U.S-based carrier Continental Airlines apologized to former Indian president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for frisking him at New Delhi airport.

(Reporting by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Rina Chandran)

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2009/08/15/arts/entertainment-us-india-usa-khan.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=khan&st=cse