Bollywood superstar SRK is now Datuk Shahrukh Khan

Kuala Lumpur, Dec 6 (PTI) Bollywood superstar Shahrukh
Khan Saturday became the first Indian movie star to be
conferred on a prestigious Malaysian title.

Wearing a traditional black and gold Malay outfit (Baju
Melayu and samping) and headgear, Khan received the title of
"Datuk" (equivalent to British Knighthood) from the governor
of Malaysia's southern Malacca state.

Baju Melayu is similar to a kurta pajama, while 'Samping'
is a piece of cloth men tie around the waist and which falls
to the length of the long shirt.

The 43-year-old actor, who has a large fan base among the
Malays, held the estimated 1,000 guests at the investiture
spellbound as he received the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM),
conferred on him and 76 others.

The actor kept waving to his fans as he was escorted into
the hall. The Bollywood icon was the focus of attention as
media and fans clicked away using cameras from their seats.

The actor will be referred to as Datuk Shahrukh Khan in
Malaysia and will be addressed as Datuk. Each Malaysian state
chooses its own list of people to honour with "Datukship". A
majority of the awardees are local Malaysians who would have
excelled in some area or are in the government.

Malacca authorities said Khan was given the title because
some of his movies had been shot in the the historical state
boosting tourism.

Khan shot a song for the movie 'one two ka four' in
Malacca which was named as one of the heritage cities by
UNESCO a few months ago.

However, the decision to award Khan with the Datukship
received a fair share of criticism across the country with
local artists and public noting that the award could have been
given to a local actor or artist.