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Bollywood heartthrob Shah Rukh Khan has voiced excitement about accepting a Malaysian honorary title equivalent to a British knighthood, despite claims by some Malaysians that it is wrong to honour a foreigner, a news report said on Wednesday.
Khan is scheduled to receive the title of Datuk on Saturday from the governor of Malaysia's southern Malacca state in the presence of 1,000 invited guests.
“After I heard about the award, I have not stopped telling everyone around in the world in the United States, Britain and South Africa that I have been knighted," Khan told The Star newspaper.
“What made this honour so profound was that it was given by a country that does not even speak my language," The Star quoted Khan as saying in a phone interview from Mumbai.
The move has stirred controversy, with Malaysians writing letters to newspapers saying it was wrong to honour a foreigner when there were many deserving local artists.
“I know who I am and what I deserve," Khan said.
“Whatever people write about me, be it positive or negative, will not change anything." Bollywood movies are highly popular in Malaysia and Khan enjoys a huge following among local Malays and ethnic Indians.
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