Yesterday, we published the cover of Shahrukh Khan’s Outlook magazine, which hit news stands across India on Monday.
The magazine features a write-up by Shahrukh on ‘what it means to be a Muslim in the Post 9/11 world’.
Below are some excerpts from the article titled “Being a Khan”
- I sometimes become the inadvertent object of political leaders who choose to make me a symbol of all that they think is wrong and unpatriotic about Muslims in India. There have been occasions when I have been accused of bearing allegiance to our neighbouring nation (Pakistan) rather than my own country – this even though I am an Indian, whose father fought for the freedom of India. Rallies have been held where leaders have exhorted me to leave and return what they refer to my ‘original’ homeland
- I gave my son and daughter names that could pass for generic (pan-India and pan-religious) ones – Aryan and Suhana. The Khan has been bequeathed by me so they can’t really escape it. I pronounce it with my epiglottis when asked by Muslims and throw the Aryan as evidence of their race when non-Muslims enquire. I imagine this will prevent my offspring from receiving unwarranted eviction orders or random fatwas in the future
- SRK also added that he became so sick of being mistaken for some crazed terrorist, “who co-incidentally carries the same name as mine that I made a film subtly titled ‘My Name Is Khan’ (and I am not a terrorist) to prove a point.”
- Ironically, I was interrogated at the airport for hours about my last name when I was going to promote the film in America for the first time.
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