New Delhi, August 12 (AP): US Ambassador to India Richard Verma and the US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Nisha Biswal on Friday apologized to Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan for his over two-hour detention at Los Angeles airport by the US immigration authorities – his third since 2012.
Ambassador Verma said that the US is working to ensure that it does not happen again.
“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,” Verma tweeted.
And Biswal tweeted: “Sorry for the hassle at the airport, @iamsrk – even American diplomats get pulled for extra screening.”
Khan, who was in the US to visit Yale University, was detained at Los Angeles airport and given immigration clearance only after about two hours.
Responding to Verma’s tweet, the 50-year-old actor said, “No trouble sir, respect the protocol & not expecting 2 b above it. It’s just a tad inconvenient. Thx for ur concern.”
It is the third time in seven years that Khan has been stopped by US immigration officials at the country’s airports.
The actor expressed disappointment on social media after the incident.
“I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks,” (sic) the actor tweeted.
In April 2012, Khan was detained at the White Plains airport near New York for over two hours by immigration officials. In 2009, he was detained at the Newark Airport in New Jersey for nearly two hours.
“My name is Khan.I am not a terrorist”
Significantly Khan had starred in the 2010 film: “My Name is Khan. And I am not a terrorist.” It was about an Indian Muslim in the US who is suspected to be a terrorist and jailed due to the paranoia generated by the 9/11 attack by the Al Qaeda on New York’s Twin Towers.
Upon its release, My name is Khan. I am not a terrorist, broke many box office records. It was the highest-grossing Bollywood film overseas at the time. Within four weeks, the film crossed the US$10 million mark in India and became the first film of 2010 to do so. In the overseas markets, the film grossed US$26 million. My Name Is Khan is currently the sixth highest grossing Bollywood film with a worldwide gross of US$ 30 million.
