Khan promo Khan

What that scene in Newark Airport was really about.

By Agnes Thoompunkal

The media-savvy Shahrukh Khan (SRK) ruled out seeking an apology. And guess why? Because he isn't getting one, and he knows it. US immigration authorities in Newark stood by the sense of their procedural routine and said that he was not being singled out with any irregular intent. Hair fashionably tousled and jeans suitably torn, never has SRK's get-up been more justified than when he arrived before fans at the South Asian Carnival in Chicago with whom he shared the broad details of his detention.

Far from requiring an apology, SRK needs to come clean on whether or not this episode was played out as a maximum mileage stunt for the upcoming co-SRK-promoted flick, My Name is Khan (My NIK). Failing which, his camp would need to issue an apology for seeking to manipulate prospective viewers. Since neither side is preparing their pardons, so lets just take a look at all the evil plots behind this drama.

What went wrong is what went right
In fact, going by reports, Shahrukh did have something to say about what set this episode apart from previous encounters. He clarified that (as reported in the Times of India) "this isn't the first time I've been stopped at an American airport, but it is traumatic not to be allowed to even make a call." So that's what set this episode apart from previous encounters - access to making calls. One of the initially reported reasons for SRK's detention was that his surname appeared on their watch list. Therefore they were merely observing procedure by going ahead with the interrogation to eliminate suspicion. The officials concerned can only be faulted with observing norms. SRK on the other hand can only be faulted with expecting to be treated as a celebrity. There was some mention of his asserting that he was a film star and he was performing at a cultural event and he could call up organizers to vouch for his identity. Procedures shouldn't be bypassed with a phone call, which is what he expected, even though when he was eventually permitted a call, he pushed all the right buttons - and through the grand offices of Congress MP Rajiv Shukla got the consulate and embassy in overdrive. It is only after this intervention that he was released from his nearly hour-long ordeal. Without his baggage. So where was his baggage? Hadn't arrived yet. Another reason for why he was questioned, since examination of baggage was part of the inspection process.

My NIK and what rides on it
SRK's tantrums wouldn't call for much attention if it didn't point at something more vexing. That independent media and governmental machinery have been subordinated to SRK's PR machinery and in the process assisted in promoting his upcoming flick My Name Is Khan. And there's a lot riding on My NIK. It was announced earlier this month that Fox Star Studios (a JV between Star and 20th Century Fox) bagged global marketing and distribution rights to My NIK for an amount of close to INR 100 crores - a deal that is being referred to as B'wood's biggest deal to date, edging out arch rival Aamir Khan's hit Ghajini. SRK and friend Johar have sunk 55 crores into My NIK, which makes that much more riding on the flick. Especially since SRK and just about everyone else in the industry knows that having a big name Hollywood production house in the mix is not assurance of the film's success. With the kind of flop that the Warner Bros.' backed Chandni Chowk to China turned out to be, no one's labouring under any illusions.

My NIK undoubtedly hopes to recreate the box-office success of New York when it whipped up some non-resident Indian (NRIs) outrage over discriminatory treatment in the aftermath of 9/11. Since most mainstream A-grade Hindi films today seem more keen on addressing what beleaguers the NRI (US/UK specifically) or the upper middle-class Westward-looking Indian over a more local audience.

Hopping on the indignation bandwagon
Politicians, banking on the fact that most people aren't given to questioning SRK's motives, summoned the easily available indignation, and milked it for all it was worth. Ambika Soni supposedly speaking in her capacity as Information and Broadcasting Minister unsurprisingly decided to speak for herself and on behalf of, one supposes, a junior spokesperson from the external affairs ministry, when she called for a "tit for tat" on American visitors to India. It's just that tit for tat is so close to shadow boxing, so close to flattering imitation, so close to plagiarizing other people's songs and films without a sense of the need for the alien treatment. Except the disingenuous need to show 'one can do it too'. The action itself becomes disingenuous. Like B'wood films? So 'tit-for-tat would suffice at getting Indian custom officials to be especially discourteous to American tourists, while giving short-shrift to the security check itself.    

In spite of coming from anti-SRK camps, the incident has thrown up some surprisingly intelligent pronouncements. This includes Salman Khan who said that the US authorities were just doing a good job of checking people getting into their country; and the fact that the US hasn't been subject to a major terrorist attack in their country since 9/11, testifies (or is at least meant to testify) for the earnestness and rigor of such security checks. The wily Samajwadi Party man Amar Singh even mentioned that this little drama was played out as a promo for My NIK. Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, fresh from taking no known action on his vow to conduct a probe into the issue of former President Kalam's body search by an American airline company, has vowed to take up the Khan matter.

What could have been the takeaway
SRK's statement to his fans upon arrival at the Chicago carnival included this line, "At times I do not feel like stepping on American soil any more but I have millions of fans here who would want to see me so I will keep coming." His ironic smirk would mean something if it came with a retreat from the limelight. But by the way  in which this story has been blown out of proportion by politicians and the media alike, one can't help but to think a stunt is at play.

Agnes Thoompunkal is a copy editor with an online citizen journalism portal. She is currently based in Gurgaon, India, and is serious about observing birds and people.

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