New Delhi, Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has criticised Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni’s remarks to give a ‘tit-for-tat’ treatment to the Americans after Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was detained at a US airport for two hours.
Giving the example of former president A.P.J. Kalam, who was also frisked in April at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here as he was boarding a flight of US carrier Continental Airlines, Kapur wrote on his blog: “I believe what happened to Shah Rukh was a huge blunder, but what happened to our Abdul Kalam was far, far worse. It happened on Indian soil.”
“But I admired the calmness with which Abdul Kalam dealt with the issue himself and displayed so much humility. I expect Shah Rukh to do the same as I am sure he will. Only he can defuse the situation,” Kapur posted on his blog www.shekharkapur.com/blog Sunday.
“Unlike our Cabinet Minister Ambica Soni, who said we should respond with a ‘tit for tat’. What are you going to do, Ms Soni? Interrogate every American citizen arriving at our shores for an hour and a half? Or wait for Brad Pitt to arrive here? Cabinet ministers need to make more considered statements,” he wrote.
Shah Rukh was on his way to Chicago to attend a function to mark India’s Independence Day and was detained for two hours at the Newark airport after US immigration officials spotted the ‘Khan’ in his name.
Reacting to it, Soni had said: “I have always felt – even when I was frisked there (the US) – that the way they frisk us we should do the same for them here.”
Kapoor says to make up, US President Obama should invite Shah Rukh Khan for dinner.
“What happened to Shah Rukh is a minor incident which we should protest about, yes. Ensure that this doesn’t happen to an Indian public figure like him again and move on,” Kapoor said.
“And President Obama, adept as he is diplomatically and politically, should invite Shah Rukh to a family dinner over beer and (view) one of his Bollywood films,” he added.
India has had terrorist troubles of its own and whats to blame? Border security. We were relaxed here once in the United States, some nice well dressed young mean boarded several aircraft for seemingly causual business flights. We were not concerned of their religion or their skin color because we were confident that normal screening proceedures would deter such blatant activities as hijacking. Some of my best friends lost their lives on September 11, 2001 because we trusted the system andthe unassuming well dressed Muslim young men. So sit back India and reflect on our caution to those who are from other countries who have people of like apperance to these young men – we are only being catious and if that cation only delays one of you for a few hours be thankful, because we are concerned for our safety and yours. AS for the comment of your Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni, sir your disgust me.
For me disgusting is SRK. Why can’t he say I will not step on the U.S. soil anymore, like Modi has said in the past. It’s not the surname nor his color – it’s the U.S. legislation, which everyone, including the U.S. citizen need to abide by. Given a forum, I will go against him and his films in North America.
hahahaha……………. oh jimmy you crak me up . keep hating shahrukh i’m sure he won’t mind it.