Sunday 16 August 2009

Grow up, SRK!



It was cringe-making, watching SRK whine endlessly on the TV channels all of Independence Day (he even managed to get the Red Fort and swine flu off the headlines), cribbing and carping about the extended security interrogation.
What’s the big deal, yaar? Every nation has the right to protect itself, to introduce processes and procedures that reduce chances of terror attack on its soil. If we don’t approve of its ways, there’s always that easy option: don’t go there!

SRK enjoys cult status in India, and within the NRI community abroad. They love, adore and revere the star, and clearly, all this insane adulation has gone to his head. He now expects every earthling to go down on him, and naturally, that’s not gonna happen. For an American security officer, the name Shah Rukh Khan means zilch. To him or her, all that matters is effective execution of the security protocol laid down in the book. And I admire them for this, I respect them for doing their jobs. If Muslims get peeved at being racially profiled at American ports, they must accept that it was Islamic fundamentalists who brought the twin towers down (and badly damaged America’s pride), so naturally people with Muslim names would be scanned a bit more than the rest. This is the way things are, and cannot be changed in the short run. Sadly, all the good Muslims of the world have to suffer because of the crimes committed by a few, but that’s the harsh reality. I mean, if it was a bunch of Parsis who flew aircraft into buildings, names like Mistry, Contractor and Karkaria would be scanned more carefully.

Star-loving Indians would argue that SRK is a global icon, and all that the ‘offending’ officer had to do was consult his/her ‘more informed’ Jet Airways colleagues. That’s true. But he/she won’t do that. One, because that’s not the option listed in the rule book. And American security officers are supposed to follow the rules (perhaps that’s a concept we desis just don’t understand). And two, even if the star gets recognised, how can one be 100% sure it really is SRK??? It could be a look-alike chappie from the by-lanes of Murdike, travelling on a false passport, courtesy Bin Laden! Remember, terror agents think ten steps ahead of security agencies. They innovate big, they are the guys with big ideas. (9/11 was the single biggest idea of the century.)

Net, net: SRK, like the rest of the adult world, should simply have taken the harsh questioning in the right spirit, and moved on. And if he gets pissed with these procedures, he must simply quit doing that nation. Two, I personally am very pleased by the news. If a demi-god can be scanned so hard, it makes me really feel safe travelling in that country. Good for you, America!

8 comments:

JKD said...

Yes, yes, yes!!!

harmeet said...

Nice to see you writing things I agree you so often!!

A Soul In Exile said...

Actually SRK wouldnt have made a fuss abt it - had it not served as such a great PR opportunity for his upcoming movie which the situation served so perfectly... I almost suspected there was a setup here on this issue... too much of a coincidence between the statements he made abt MY NAME IS KHAN and his next movie...

Chandrima said...

This was totally PR for his movie and nothing else...I just wish Indians would learn to follow rules and discipline like the Americans and Brits..that alone could ensure security in India

Anonymous said...

Couldn't agree more Anil :-)

Varkha Chulani

Salil Khetani said...

For once I disagree with you Anil. Criticizing Shah Rukh Khan for bringing the problem many other Asians also face is like shooting the messenger.

I have written about it in the following blog:
http://sleel-k.blogspot.com/2009/08/security.html

Anonymous said...

Anil ji , kuch naya article toh likho ji.....Aapka Shubhchintak

Joe Thomas said...

I just read the line about SRK expecting every "earthling to go down on him". That means something a little different from what you meant. Perhaps you should word that a little differently, since I doubt that even SRK would have the capacity to satisfy everyone's desire to go down on him. And it would be a little unrealistic to expect airport security to do that.