Politics, the biggest screen

Amitabh Bachchan is used to political backing and support right from his younger days when he was a family friend of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Throughout the Emergency period, Amitabh had to face a sort of social ostracisation for his proximity to the Gandhis. The emergence of Rajiv saw Amitabh's own political role. Attacks over Bofors and other controversies may have forced a hasty retreat from politics but for many, Amitabh could never stay away from it completely.

The Narasimha Rao era saw Amitabh fighting a lone battle even as the debacle of his production house ABCL proved a nightmare. Amitabh, mired in financial trouble, was seen playing host to then Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in the company of Bal Thackeray as the Congress under Sitaram Kesri squirmed.

On the other hand, say political and film industry sources, Shah Rukh Khan has so far not needed political crutches. Friends in the industry such as Juhi Chawla and her husband Jai Mehta, filmmaker Karan Johar and a few others have helped him in his early years.

This has helped reduce his dependence on political players like the Congress's Rajiv Shukla, who is perceived to be close to the actor.

As BCCI vice-president, Shukla was perhaps party to the informal ploy to keep the Pakistani players out of the IPL, but that has not deterred the star from hitting out against the move.

Shah Rukh, who is currently promoting My Name is Khan abroad, is aware that a large number of his supporters include sections – Muslims as well as those belonging to other religions – which do not buy the Sena-MNS' hawkish stand on cricket. Shah Rukh, aware of his firm roots in the national mainstream, hence decided to speak out, said industry sources who requested anonymity.

Today, too, in New York, Shah Rukh projected a moderate image. He made light of his detention at Newark airport six months ago – an event that had kicked up a storm then, partly fuelled by his initial comments that had some traces of resentment at being singled out.

Shah Rukh today said that being detained at airports was nothing new to him. "I have been detained over 25 times," he said, naming countries like the US, France and the UK.

Flashing his trademark grin, Shah Rukh said he has learned over the years to wear clean socks all the time, because like other passengers he has to remove his shoes at the airport security as well.

Asked about the Shiv Sena protests back home, Shah Rukh said: "It makes me feel that activities like these are unhealthy, undemocratic, insensitive but this is the way world is and you can only say what you believe in and stand by it and hopefully I will have the strength to do so."

Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100203/jsp/frontpage/story_12061001.jsp