Shekhar Kapur slams Ambika Soni for comments on SRK episode
August 16th, 2009 - 8:37 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Aug 16 (IANS) Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has criticised Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni’s remarks to give a ‘tit-for-tat’ treatment to the Americans after Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was detained at a US airport for two hours.
Giving the example of former president A.P.J. Kalam, who was also frisked in April at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here as he was boarding a flight of US carrier Continental Airlines, Kapur wrote on his blog: “I believe what happened to Shah Rukh was a huge blunder, but what happened to our Abdul Kalam was far, far worse. It happened on Indian soil.”
“But I admired the calmness with which Abdul Kalam dealt with the issue himself and displayed so much humility. I expect Shah Rukh to do the same as I am sure he will. Only he can defuse the situation,” Kapur posted on his blog www.shekharkapur.com/blog Sunday.
“Unlike our Cabinet Minister Ambica Soni, who said we should respond with a ‘tit for tat’. What are you going to do, Ms Soni? Interrogate every American citizen arriving at our shores for an hour and a half? Or wait for Brad Pitt to arrive here? Cabinet ministers need to make more considered statements,” he wrote.
Shah Rukh was on his way to Chicago to attend a function to mark India’s Independence Day and was detained for two hours at the Newark airport after US immigration officials spotted the ‘Khan’ in his name.
Reacting to it, Soni had said: “I have always felt - even when I was frisked there (the US) - that the way they frisk us we should do the same for them here.”
Kapoor says to make up, US President Obama should invite Shah Rukh Khan for dinner.
“What happened to Shah Rukh is a minor incident which we should protest about, yes. Ensure that this doesn’t happen to an Indian public figure like him again and move on,” Kapoor said.
“And President Obama, adept as he is diplomatically and politically, should invite Shah Rukh to a family dinner over beer and (view) one of his Bollywood films,” he added.
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- SRK again detained at US airport, India tells US sorry won't do(Roundup) - Apr 13, 2012
- Shah Rukh detained in US airport - over 'Khan' name (Lead) - Aug 15, 2009
- It happens all the time, tweets Omar on SRK's detention - Apr 13, 2012
- SRK detained at Newark airport over 'Khan' name (Second Lead) - Aug 15, 2009
- Detaining SRK at US airport not justified: Ambika Soni - Aug 15, 2009
- Shah Rukh 'My Name Is Khan' detained at US airport - over name (Roundup) - Aug 15, 2009
- NRI fans of Shah Rukh Khan feel sorry about treatment meted out to him - Aug 16, 2009
- SRK recalls 'bizarre and embarrassing' two-hour detention (Lead) - Aug 18, 2009
- Shah Rukh Khan detained at New York airport (Lead) - Apr 13, 2012
- SRK's detention: Indian envoy asked to take up issue with US - Apr 13, 2012
- I'm law abiding, but US airport experience embarrassing: SRK - Aug 18, 2009
- Shah Rukh Khan detained again at NYK airport(Second Lead) - Apr 13, 2012
- It was nice, as it always happens, says Shah Rukh - Apr 13, 2012
- Salman Khan criticizes US authorities for detaining Shah Rukh Khan - Aug 16, 2009
Tags: abdul kalam, ambica, ambika soni, american citizen, blunder, cabinet minister, cabinet ministers, calmness, continental airlines, hour and a half, humility, immigration officials, indian soil, indira gandhi, indira gandhi international airport, minor incident, newark airport, shah rukh khan, shekhar kapur, us immigration