One Khan detained, one through: SRK, Aamir's love-hate US story

While Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was detained at a US airport, the Indian film industry's other big Khan sailed through.

Aamir Khan touched down in Mumbai last night and unlike Shah Rukh, he had no problem with US airport immigration authorities.

Indian media outlets and social media in general were abuzz with speculation as to one Khan is detained so often and one is not.

Aamir Khan lands at Mumbai airport, back from the US. (Sanskriti Media and Entertainment)

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has tweeted that he gets detained at US airports "every damn time" after he was stopped at the Los Angeles International Airport.

I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks.

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) August 12, 2016

The US Ambassador to New Delhi Richard R. Verma tweeted an apology to the star Friday, saying the US government was working to "to ensure it doesn't happen again."

Sorry for the trouble at LAX @iamsrk. We are working to ensure it doesn’t happen again. Your work inspires millions, including in the US.

— Rich Verma (@USAmbIndia) August 12, 2016

This is the third time the wildly popular Indian star has been detained at a US airport. In 2012 he was stopped at an airport in White Plains, NY and in 2009 he was detained for two hours at Newark airport.

Celebrities and top officials in India are routinely given special treatment and avoid routine security checks.
It's not clear why Khan, who is Muslim, was detained or for how long.

Earlier report

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan took to Twitter Friday to express his annoyance at being detained by US airport immigration authorities for the third time, saying the experience "really, really sucks".

The last time Khan, 50, was detained by immigration officials in New York in 2012, it sparked uproar among his Indian fans who accused the US of racial profiling, and led Washington to apologise.

"I fully understand & respect security with the way the world is, but to be detained at US immigration every damn time really really sucks," Khan tweeted after he was pulled aside at Los Angeles airport.

"The brighter side is while waiting caught some really nice Pokemons".

As news of Khan's detention broke on Indian television channels, US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal quickly expressed regret.  

(Sanskriti Media and Entertainment)

"Sorry for the hassle at the airport, @iamsrk - even American diplomats get pulled for extra screening!" Biswal tweeted.

Washington had previously denied allegations that Khan was singled out because his name denotes him as a Muslim.

Someone with the same name is reportedly on a US no-fly list of 80,000.

After the 2012 incident, Khan joked in a speech to Yale University that he was accustomed to such hassles.

"Yes, it always happens... Whenever I start feeling arrogant about myself, I always take a trip to America," he told students. "The immigration guys kick the star out of stardom."

Khan was also detained for more than two hours in 2009 at Newark airport outside New York, prompting a similar Indian outcry and a US apology.

In February, a Sikh Indian-American actor and designer, Waris Ahluwalia, was barred from boarding an Aeromexico flight from Mexico City to New York because he refused to remove his turban.

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