Irrfan Khan detained at US airport for being a Khan

‘My Name Is Khan and I am not a terrorist’, this sentence might be from Shahrukh Khan

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’s film ‘My Name Is Khan’ but it is applicable for Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan also. Irrfan Khan the noted actor of Bollywood was detained at the US airport for being a Muslim. Like many other Khans, he was also stopped at the US airport thinking to be a terrorist.
"It's humiliating. They don't even disclose the reason," says Irrfan , who is one of the most recognised actors from India and acted in Hollywood Oscar-winner 'Slumdog Millionaire', 'Life of Pi' and crowd pleaser 'Spider-Man'.
"Actually, I don't use my surname Khan in films, but in passports, surname and religion are required. I was stopped not once, but several times at airports in the US.

"Once I told the immigration people, why do you issue visas, if you don't want to give us entry, and the man scowled at me saying --Are you threatening me?," Irrfan said on Rajat Sharma's show 'Aap Ki Adalat' to be telecast on India TV.
This is not the first time, Irrfan was detained. He was detained twice at the US airports, he was stopped and questioned at Los Angeles airport in 2008 and at New York airport in 2009.
Shahrukh Kahn too detained several times. Hence, it became a routine harassment for many celebrities. Former President APJ Abdul Kalam, John Abraham, Neil Nitin Mukhesh and Kabir Khan to name a few faced similar situation.
The ‘Biwi Aur Gangster Returns' actor said he is tired of facing this every time he travels to the US.
"The policemen with big guns just take you to a room and ask you to sit. they don't allow you to speak to anybody, nor use cellphones. And after long waits, they come and simply say --'Go, please go'.

"So now, I have told my hosts clearly that if I am stopped at the airport, I will just buy a ticket and return to India," said Irrfan.
Irrfan thinks looks doesn’t matter in Bollywood it is only acting that matters at the end of the day, "Most of the superstars are conventionally not goodlookers, whether Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachchan sahib or Dilip Sahib. I am not comparing myself with them. I am only exploring the possibility that the inner personality of an actor counts, not good looks.

"It appears as if Hollywood is mesmerised with my looks, but for me, language does not matter. Language does not make one an elite. In 'Life Of Pi', I was asked to use Canadian-French-Indian accent."

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