Outcry over Datukship for Shah Rukh Khan

Fathima Idris: The February 2005 issue of the National Geographic had a feature on Shah Rukh Khan and he related the following to the writer:

‘He tells me about the time he was visiting a village in Malaysia. In the afternoon heat, he took a nap by the side of a road and had the sensation of being watched. When he woke up, he opened his eyes to see 60 villagers staring at him intently.

‘A chant went up as they did their best to pronounce his name: "Chalukkhan, Chalukkhan..." Giggling, they led him by the hand inside a house. And then he saw it - a small shrine to him, with pictures and incense.'

I found the whole account quite incredulous at that time and only thought of how conceited he was. Malaysians worshiping him - unbelievable! The story also did not fit in with my perception of his attraction in Malaysia.

To me, he seems to be most popular with the Malays and not the other races; and it would be unthinkable that Malays would have a shrine to him.

And to top his conceit now we have a Datukship conferred on him. Perhaps I must revise my view about the shrine to him. It would look like there might be one somewhere in Malaysia, maybe somewhere in Malacca though.