SRK banned from stadium for five years

The Bollywood star allegedly got into a brawl recently.

MUMBAI:

Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has been banned from the Wankhede Stadium for five years, Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) President Vilasrao Deshmukh announced Friday.

Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan was at the centre of an ugly row on Thursday with allegations that he had got into a brawl with security personnel and officials at the Wankhede stadium. But the star issued a furious denial and said it was his children and others who had been “manhandled” and deserved an apology.

“MCA is forced to ban Shahrukh Khan from entering Wankhede Stadium for five years,” said Deshmukh, the union minister for science and technology. “The managing committee of MCA condemns the behaviour of Shahrukh Khan. After his fight at the stadium Wednesday night, the actor has shown no regrets for his action and behaviour. In fact, he justified his actions. The managing committee is forced to ban Mr Shahrukh Khan from the entering Wankhede Stadium,” Deshmukh said after an emergency meeting of the MCA.

“We have already written to BCCI and have apprised them of the situation and the decision that might follow. We don’t expect anybody to pressurise us to change our decision,” he said.

According to the resolution passed by MCA, Khan will not be able to enter Wankhede Stadium for five years “neither as a team owner not as a member of the audience”.

Replying to allegations by the actor that his daughter was manhandled by MCA officials, Deshmukh said: “We have not received any complaint from Shahrukh Khan yet. He is unapologetic and justified his actions. We will also genuinely look into the matter if Shahrukh lodges a complaint regarding the same.”

In a case of his word against theirs, Khan stated that he wasn’t drunk and that there was nothing wrong with his behaviour. “I don’t think that my behaviour was incorrect or I did something illegal. They are my kids and I have a responsibility towards them. I will not apologise. They (officials) should apologise to me,” the superstar told reporters outside his residence.

Recounting his version, the 46-year-old actor said: “I had gone to pick up my children who were there to watch the match. I went there, congratulated my team and when I came back, I saw that there was a gentleman manhandling the children. They were pushing little girls. I just told him that this is not the way to behave. I won’t deny that I could have said something in a fit of anger.”

The star’s colleagues in Bollywood appeared to be strangely quiet at this latest controversy with no immediate reactions. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2012.