Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, the brand ambassador for TAG Heuer watches, flashes the new Aquaracer 300m Automatic Chronograph on his wrist in Mumbai. (Photo : Getty Images/Rubina A Khan)
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan, 50, was detained at the Los Angeles International Airport recently fueling claims of racial profiling by the United States border control. This was the actor's third time of being questioned by US officials.
The star of "Om Shanti Om" was not given a reason for being detained, Independent reported. However, he remained calm and took to social media to vent his frustration shortly after being released.
Khan took to Twitter to say that while he understood the need for security checks, the star of "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" implied that it was frustrating to be detained every time. Later on, Khan humorously remarked that he had spotted several Pokemon Go characters while waiting.
I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks.
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) 12 August 2016
The brighter side is while waiting caught some really nice Pokemons. — Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) 12 August 2016
The U.S. ambassador to India quickly went into damage control and took to the embassy's official twitter account to address the situation. Ambassador Richard Verma apologized for the incident saying the embassy was working to ensure it was not repeated. Verma remarked that Khan's work inspired many including those in the U.S.
Sorry for the trouble at LAX @iamsrk. We are working to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Your work inspires millions, including in the US. — Rich Verma (@USAmbIndia) 12 August 2016
Khan was detained previously in 2009 and was released two hours later following Indian embassy intervention at Newark Airport. Thereafter, in 2012 Khan was reportedly detained near New York at White Plains for 90 minutes following his arrival into the country on his private jet.
Reasons to Khan's detention are being pointed at overly zealous security services targeting those with Muslim sounding names since the 9/11 attacks, Variety reported. In 2010, the actor starred in a film titled "My Name Is Khan" which further added to the controversy surrounding his visits. Khan played an autistic Muslim man in the film who attempts to meet the US President.
Commonly referred to in the Bollywood film industry as "SRK" the actor is not the only high-profile Indian to be detained. In 2011, Washington apologized to India after former Indian President Abdul Kalam was frisked at an airport in New York. A year previously, Indian ambassador to the US at the time Meera Shankar was reportedly searched by an agent in Mississippi.
In another instance, it is reported that Indian diplomat Hardeep Puri was asked to remove his turban at an airport in Houston, Texas. When Puri refused to do so on religious grounds he was then detained in a holding room.
The media reported Khan's detention at Los Angeles in the following video:
