whose false it anyway ?

Past the immense security at the Emirates Palace Gates and the bouncers at the doors of his suite, Shah Rukh Khan is not an easy celebrity to access. It takes hours of patience.

Playing the role of an autist faced with racial profiling in the US after 9/11, Khan says it was not just the unusual theme that attracted him to the script.

“Apart from the story, what’s important to me is the team that I’ll be working with,” he said. “I’ve known Karan since his (and my) childhood days. Then there was Kajol, who’s a great friend. I was just scared that they might take some other actor instead.”

He was speaking at the film’s pre-screening press conference held in the afternoon.


“But, honestly, it’s quite interesting to work with a character in a love story who cannot express love like normal people,” he said. “In the past I’ve played characters who’ve over-expressed their love. This is a definite change.”

The conference took a bit of a serious turn as the press quizzed the actor on the recent controversy sparked by his comment on barring Pakistani cricket players from the Indian Premiere League (IPL).

Mumbai-based political party Shiv Sena’s objection to it has hampered the promotion of the movie. High-profile security is being maintained at theatres in the Indian city where the film is being screened.

“Don’t ask me questions like that; I’m already quite tense,” he said lightly.

“I live on hopes and prayers. And we’re really hoping and praying that we will be able to show this film to people in Mumbai and all of Maharashtra,” he added more seriously.

“We’ve put in a lot of work. I only hope that people realise that stunts like this will only bring sorrow to those of us living in the city. I’m a little saddened by it all but I’m hoping better sense will prevail soon,” the megastar of Hindi film industry said.

“Other than that, I do not wish to comment on any other aspect because we’re currently out of the country and the scenario is probably changing per minute,” he said.

Closing further conversation on the controversial subject, he said, “Anything else I say on the matter might be misconstrued.”