Star actor back in India, blasts treatment in U.S.

NEW DELHI — Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan returned Tuesday to India, stung by his treatment at the hands of U.S. immigration officials, and told fans the screening process was discriminatory and embarrassing.

He also denied he was highlighting the incident as a publicity stunt for his new movie, "My Name is Khan," about the discrimination Muslims face in the U.S. after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Khan, 43, was taken for secondary screening at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey for about 90 minutes Friday, which he said happened because of his Muslim name and South Asian origin.

Khan may not be a household name in the United States. But "King Khan," as he's known here, is among India's — and the world's — top film stars. By some estimates, Bollywood enjoys 3.6 billion fans globally compared with Hollywood's 2.5 billion.

The Muslim actor, who is married to a Hindu, has starred in more than 50 Hindi films, many involving stories in which love trumps bigotry. He has won 13 Filmfare awards, India's equivalent of the Oscars.

In 2008, Newsweek named him the world's biggest movie star and one of its 50 most influential people, ahead of Oprah Winfrey, the Dalai Lama and Osama bin Laden.

Thus for many Indians, it's all a bit unthinkable that others wouldn't treat him with the same respect and near godlike reverence he's afforded at home.

The incident is "as absurd as Brad Pitt coming to India, being strip-searched, investigated and interrogated," Bollywood director Karan Johar wrote on his blog.

Khan was on his way to Chicago to attend a celebration for Saturday's Indian Independence Day when he was asked to step aside. In recent months, he has traveled repeatedly to Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York to shoot the upcoming film without immigration problems.

"Routine security procedures weren't followed," he said, adding that border guards could have compared his fingerprints and retina scan against data on file. "We should not be treated on the basis of our color or nationality."

His protest hit a nerve with upwardly mobile Indians who have faced enhanced and sometimes intrusive scrutiny since 2001 when trying to attend U.S. schools, visit their relatives or participate in business meetings. His popularity also guaranteed that millions of less well-heeled fans heard his complaint.

"This has definitely done huge damage to the U.S. reputation in India," said Shyamal Sengupta, a professor at the Whistling Woods International film school in Mumbai.

Hoping to turn perceptions around, U.S. Ambassador Tim Roemer said through a spokesman that Khan had millions of American fans and was always welcome.

U.S. border officials denied Khan was detained or discriminated against and said normal procedure was followed.

The U.S. has every right to defend its borders, Khan said, dressed in a gray V-neck shirt and dark glasses. But it might want to balance this against a greater openness toward peoples around the world.

But some analysts blamed Indian media for blowing the issue out of proportion. "You can't expect (border guards) to know each and every actor or celebrity," said Dr. Bhaskara Rao, chairman of the Center for Media Studies, a New Delhi-based watchdog group.

Others wondered whether the shrewd and eloquent actor might not be fanning the flames to publicize his film.

"Shah Rukh Khan is an actor," said Sajid Wadood, adviser with New Delhi's Islamic Cultural Center. "I think he's acting."

Khan denied any ulterior motive in highlighting the incident. "I don't mean to sound pompous," the actor said. "But Shah Rukh Kahn doesn't need publicity."