The 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in the U.S. in 2001 was a historic tragedy that shook the entire world. It has now been revealed that Bollywood king Shah Rukh Khan’s wife, Gauri Khan, and son, Aryan Khan, were in New York at the time.
According to The Indian Express, in a 2010 interview, King Khan stated, “I was in New York during the 9/11 attacks, and with me were my wife Gauri Khan, my son Aryan Khan, and director Karan Johar’s mother, Hiroo Johar, when this tragedy occurred.”
During the interview, Shah Rukh Khan said, “I was scheduled for an interview to promote my film Asoka, and the rest of the team was supposed to leave for Toronto, Canada, four hours before us. I was asleep when Hiroo Johar woke me up and showed me the scenes of the attack. At first, I misunderstood what was happening.”
The Bollywood actor further stated, “I thought it was the same plane in which our crew was traveling (which was scheduled to depart for Toronto). Journalists were waiting downstairs for the interview, and I was shocked, trying to comprehend what had actually happened. We were stuck in New York for the next few days as air travel had been suspended.”
Shah Rukh Khan mentioned, “We sought special permission and requested some people who understood our situation and showed great kindness. Considering the presence of children and women, we were allowed to leave. I was deeply affected by this incident, just like every other person was.”
It is worth noting that, according to Indian media, even in the years following 9/11, Shah Rukh Khan was stopped at U.S. airports three times. In his speech at Yale University, he remarked, “Whenever I feel arrogant about being a star, I travel to the U.S., where immigration officers remind me of my real worth.” (With this, Shah Rukh Khan hinted at experiencing racial discrimination at U.S. airports.)
