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Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was detained and questioned for two hours at Newark Liberty Airport on Saturday, August 15th. Khan, an Indian citizen, was en route from India to Chicago when he was detained by Transportation Safety Authority officials over his Muslim surname, which appears on an "alert list". Khan was released by the TSA after the intervention of the Indian embassy in Washington, D.C.

"I told them I was a movie star." Khan told the Indian press. And the 44-year old actor is indeed one of Indian cimena's biggest box-office draws, having acted, sung and danced his way through more than 70 films. Known to his fans as "King Khan," he was named last year by Newsweek magazine as one of the world's "50 Most Powerful Men". His detention was broadcast widely by the Indian newsmedia, and caused an uproar in India and among the Indian community in the U.S.

In New Delhi, U.S. Ambassador to India, Timothy J. Roemer, said the U.S. Embassy was trying to "ascertain the facts of the case - to understand what took place."

"Shah Rukh Khan, the actor and global icon, is a very welcome guest in the United States. Many Americans love his films," Roemer said Saturday through an embassy spokesman.

For his part, Khan kept his sense of humor. "I heard Angelina Jolie is coming to town soon," he joked to the Indian media. "I would like to frisk her this time since I know what it means to go through such an ordeal.''

Khan also emphasized that he was not angry over the incident, although he felt that TSA officials 'went a little overboard' with the questioning. "I was asked bizarre questions by the airport officials," he told the Indian press today. "It wasn't a drama. I don't want publicity. But, I feel routine procedure was not followed there. We should not be treated on the basis of our colour or nationality."

In an ironic twist, Khan had recently wrapped up shooting in the U.S. for My Name Is Khan, a film is about a Muslim arrested as a suspected terrorist in post-9/11 Los Angeles after the authorities mistake his autism for suspicious behaviour. The film is scheduled for a 2010 release.

Watch Trailer For My Name Is Khan Here