Shahrukh was detained for two hours at the White Plains Airport after his last name flagged the hyper-sensitive security settings in the airport computer system which reviews names of incoming passengers. All it took to be flagged and pulled aside was for SRK to have a Muslim surname. Nothing else seemed to be taken into consideration—even though his identity was easily established and verified by immigration officials, Khan was subjected to two hours of questioning. Apparently it's not a joke: Americans really do think all Muslims are terrorists. Harass first, establish the facts later. That's the American way. It took intervention by Yale University officials (who contacted the Department of Homeland Security on Khan's behalf) before Shahrukh was released, resulting in him being an hour late to deliver his speech at Yale.
Sadly, this is something Shahrukh has gotten used to—he was similarly detained in 2009 when he came to the US to promote My Name Is Khan, which ironically was about an Indian man who travels to the US to tell the President that all Muslims are not terrorists. Maybe the Department of Homeland Security needs to catch a screening of the film.
Once at Yale, Shahrukh was able to laugh off the incident. "Whenever I become too arrogant I come to the US," he told the crowd, which booed loudly when he announced that he had been detained. He was rapturously received by his audience and spoke for thirty minutes, treating his fans to an impromptu performance of Chammak Challo. It was frankly an endearing moment, and even the most hardened cynic would melt at Shahrukh Khan's obvious joy at the love and affection he received from his American audience. Hopefully, it in some way made up for the heinous way in which he was treated just hours earlier.
Check out Shahrukh's adorable dance performance below—no wonder his fans love him so much!
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