Irrfan, who had also been detained in the US in the past, says SRK doesn’t need his advice

Priyanka Dasgupta (BOMBAY TIMES; April 15, 2012)

 

When Shah Rukh Khan was detained at the New York airport on his way to Yale University, he reacted sarcastically, saying, “It was nice, as it always happens”. Actor Irrfan, who too has been detained in the US earlier, said the experience of being interrogated by the authorities simply because of a certain surname can be “very unnerving”.

Said Irrfan, “I had been detained when I went for The Namesake. It can be very unnerving and humiliating. There are ways of checking a person’s credentials. How many times does one answer the same question about one’s name, surname, father’s name etc. They ask you to come to a room where you are not allowed to talk on the phone. They don’t even tell you how much time the interrogation will last. Every time I go to the US, memories of this experience are always there.”

Have incidents of racial profiling gone down with time or are Americans more paranoid than ever before? “I think, it’s just the same.” Having been there and faced the same situation, would he like to say anything to Shah Rukh? “He is an intelligent actor and knows how to handle the situation. He doesn’t need my advice. I understand how unnerving being detained can be. I must say that the media doesn’t need to only highlight this issue. If one has to talk, one can also speak about their foreign policy,” the actor signs off.