Veteran actor Satish Shah has said that he was subjected to racist remarks by a staff member at London's Heathrow airport.

"Because we are Indians" was how the actor said he responded to the racist remark by a staff member.

The Sarabhai vs Sarabhai star on Tuesday said the airport staff asked his colleague in a baffled tone about how Shah was able to afford first-class travel.

"I replied with a proud smile 'because we are Indians' after I overheard the Heathrow staff wonderingly asking his mate how can they afford 1st class?" Shah tweeted on Tuesday.

The tweet on the actor's unverified handle went viral on social media and got over 12,000 likes and 1,300 retweets. The page has over 45,000 followers.

London Heathrow, one of the busiest international airports, apologised to Shah on Twitter and asked him to share details about the incident.

"Good morning, we're sorry to hear about this encounter. May you DM us?" the tweet read.

Many social media users lauded Shah for his dignified response.

"We are Indians, it's enough for them to explain everything. If the British had not ruled us for 200 years, then perhaps England would have been a colony of ours today," a user wrote.