• About
  • Photo Contest: AAPI Heritage Month
  • Community Calendar
  • Advertise
  • Subscriptions
  • Contact
  • Seattle Chinese Post

Northwest Asian Weekly


  • Community
    • Names in the News
    • Local
    • Business
    • Pictorials
    • Obituaries
  • Nation
  • World
  • Arts & Entertainment
  • Columns
    • On the Shelf
    • At the Movies
    • A-POP!
    • Publisher Ng’s blog
    • The Layup Drill
    • Travel
    • Wayne’s Worlds
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentary
    • Publisher Ng’s blog
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Astrology
  • Classifieds
  • Community Calendar
You are here: Home / News / Malaysian award for Bollywood star upsets locals

Malaysian award for Bollywood star upsets locals

October 18, 2008 By Northwest Asian Weekly

One 2 Ka 4 (2001) is an Indian film directed by Shashilal Nair. The film stars Shahrukh Khan, Juhi Chawla and Jackie Shroff.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A Malaysian state has defended its decision to give an honorary title to an Indian movie star, news reports said Oct. 12.

Shah Rukh Khan was awarded the title of “Datuk” — the equivalent of a knighthood in Britain — by Malacca in recognition of his promotion of the southern state through his films.

Malacca Chief Minister Mohamad Ali Rustam said Khan had helped the state’s tourism because six of his movies involved locations in Malacca, the New Sunday Times quoted him as saying. This included the hit “One 2 Ka 4,” which was shot at a resort in Malacca in 2001.

But the move has stirred controversy. The Sunday Star newspaper said many Malaysians were astounded by the award.

Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang, in a statement, said priority should be given to local artists.

If Shah Rukh Khan deserves the award, then other foreign stars including Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones who shot the Hollywood movie “Entrapment” in Kuala Lumpur in 1999 should also be given similar recognition, he said.

“I thought the award is given to those who have contributed toward Malacca’s development. I wonder whether Shah Rukh Khan even knows where Malacca is,” businesswoman Fatimah Tahir told the newspaper.

But Ali said, “It would have cost millions to promote Malacca through advertisements, but instead Shah Rukh has brought Malacca to the attention of the world through his movies,” the Star reported.

Ali and other Malacca officials could not be reached Oct. 12 for further comment.

The 42-year-old Bollywood star was among more than 750 people given awards to mark the 70th birthday of Malacca’s nominal head of state, Mohamad Khalil Yaakob. ♦

Share:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: News, World News Tagged With: 2008, Fatimah Tahir, Kuala Lumpur, Lim Kit Siang, Mohamad Khalil Yaakob, New Sunday Times, Shah Rukh Khan, attention, vol 27 no 43 | October 18 - October 24

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Find us on Issuu!

Subscribe to our e-news

Front pages

Biden awards Medal of Honor for Vietnam heroism

Lori Matsukawa: Recipient of Japanese Emperor’s Rising Sun Award—A celebration of the Japanese Americans’ achievements

Local community benefits from man’s pickleball passion

Norman Mineta, transportation secretary in 9/11 era, dies

UW bioethicist calls for justice in distributing global COVID treatments

Community members urge support for SPD hiring bonuses

PICTORIAL: AAPI Heritage Celebration

“Celebrate Asia” 2022 encourages a community to move forward, together

Biden COVID coordinators leaving in April, Jha to take over

Long COVID: the disease that cannot be described

More of Last Week's Front Page

© 2022 NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
412 MAYNARD AVE. S., SEATTLE, WA 98104
206-223-5559 | INFO@NWASIANWEEKLY.COM