4 min readMumbaiUpdated: Aug 12, 2016 04:31 PM IST
Shah Rukh Khan was the only actor whose name was used by Barack Obama in his speech while in India.
His face can launch a million brands across the globe. He was the only actor whose name was used by Barack Obama in his speech while in India. And only three English alphabets are needed to describe him, SRK. Yet America chooses to racially profile Mr. Khan by unnecessarily detaining him every time he steps his foot there.
Dear America, I am not seeking preferential treatment for an Indian VIP but demanding you to extend SRK the same ordinary courtesy that you reserve for passengers with a non-Muslim surname. To racially profile a person like Shah Rukh Khan — not once, not twice but thrice — reeks of arrogance on your part. Either that or you are just innocently ignorant about SRK despite the actor’s legendary popularity in your holier than thou land. I’m inclined to believe it is the former that makes you detain King Khan time and again.
Is it too difficult to recognise a man whose famous film dialogue your own President eloquently quoted in his speech while touring India? Maybe you are not interested in your President’s speeches so I will give you the benefit of doubt in this case. What about him being the second richest actor in the world? Perhaps the American airport officials are living under a rock. So let’s overlook that too. From under that rock, we are sure you use Facebook and Twitter.
A mere mention of SRK on these microblogging sites will throw up thousands of SRK fan club. Not to mention, the man himself commands 20.7 million followers on Twitter while Oscar winner Leonardo Di Caprio has only 13 million. Now you may say that we are the second most populous nation and hence the followers. Let’s chuck that out too. What about your own home-grown Los Angeles Times writing SRK is the world’s biggest movie superstar? Yeah well they always write that to sell their wares. Big deal, no? (Shah Rukh Khan accepts US envoys’ apologies, says ‘respects protocol but it’s inconvenient’)
Let’s look at some facts that I have pulled out from your own Google about SRK for your benefit.
Shah Rukh Khan has been conferred with top French civilian award – Knight of the Legion of Honor.
He has been conferred the honour of Datuk, a Malaysian honour equivalent to British knighthood. (Enough is enough, Shah Rukh Khan should stop flying to the US)
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The University of Edinburgh has conferred him with a honorary doctorate.
He is the only movie star whose presence in the Gulf region can bring traffic to a standstill.
When he made a quick stopover at Google’s headquarter in your land, he had a jam-packed audience listening to him in rapt attention. (Shah Rukh Khan detained at US airport again, tweets ‘every damn time’)
When Apple’s Ceo Tim Cook was in India, it was at SRK’s sea facing home that he preferred to wine, dine and let his hair down.
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Owing to the paucity of time, we will stop here but the next time SRK arrives in the USA, dear American airport officials please remember his last name is Khan and he is not a terrorist!
(This is personal opinion of the author)
Shah Rukh Khan was the only actor whose name was used by Barack Obama in his speech while in India.