Shah Rukh Khan on Detention: It Wasn't a Drama

MUMBAI: ‘‘This is not going to end and we will have to live with that,’’ said Shah Rukh Khan at a press conference in Mumbai on Tuesday after

Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan waves upon his arrival from the US at the Mumbai international airport. (Reuters)

Khan, who was detained at Newark airport for slightly over an hour, clarified that the reason given to him for detention was that his name kept popping up on the computer and not because of lost baggage issues.

While confirming that he wanted to move on with life, Shah Rukh did admit that he felt slightly violated when asked to name people in America who could vouch for him. ‘‘I don’t want to be treated as somebody special and I don’t want anyone to lose their job because of this incident. But should they have taken my fingerprints and retina scan, then let me off without verifying these? It shows the system is wrong.’’

Khan brushed aside allegations of the incident being a publicity stunt for his forthcoming film. ‘‘I don’t need a stunt to remain in the public eye. And I don’t think being detained and questioned is a matter of pride. But one cannot deny that this is a problem happening around the world,’’ said the actor, adding that this was the not the first time he was called aside for questioning.

Quoting German pastor Martin Niemoller, Khan said, ‘‘They came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up, because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.’’