The problems with stereotyping depicted in a new Hindi film.

This is also a problem I face with my name being distinctly Muslim.


Your next film with Karan Johar ‘My name is Khan’ is about how people with
Muslim second names are treated differently internationally. Have you had any such personal experiences?


I am the wrongest person to even think about this. It is really stupid even to imagine that such kind of differentiation happens in India. It is most secular and there is no difference between a Khan and a Kumar here.

But yes, internationally, if you have a Muslim surname, you might be considered a terrorist. At London airport, every time I go, people recognise me, but they see my second name, and they give me an extra checking.

Earlier, my assistant Subhash used to be stopped, because of the way he looks, so I used to say ok, I will take your bags, it is better for me, but these days, I am the one who’s stopped, so its okay, he carries my bags for me. (Laughing) but if you ask me, between us, he’s the one who looks more like a terrorist!

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1129467&pageid=2

News report:
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/10/24/arts/AS-A-E-CEL-India-Shah-Rukh-Khan.php

My name is Khan. Oliver Kahn. Oww thats Kahn :p
My name is Khan. Genghis Khan. :D

No, seriously, all my friends here who has an initial name Mohammad, they
all "hide" their first name. For example, Mohammad Yudha, Mohammad Ramdan,
they are known only as Yudha or Ramdan. Their email address are m_yudha@...
or mramdan@...

I guess they have somewhat unpleasant experience that make them hide
their initial names...

Yeah, I know many people who have converted the Mohammed to M. in their names

Its also a matter of passports at airports. My dad, who has a bangladeshi passport, gets the most thorough checking at Heathrow or LAX, myself and my mother who have Australian passports, don't get asked anything at all. but we still get checked more thoroughly than others.