Shah Rukh Khan delivers Ted Talk: I learnt the crude tools of survival after my father’s death, see video, pics

The actor who is often referred to as the King of Romance in Bollywood defined love for his fans overseas. Shah Rukh said, “I’ve learned that whatever moves you, whatever urges you to create, build, whatever keeps you from failing, whatever helps you survive, is perhaps the oldest and the simplest emotion known to mankind, and that is love.”

Shah Rukh took to Twitter to express his feelings of speaking at the platform for the first time and thanked the organisers on his Twitter handle. “Thank u @TEDTalks @TEDchris @julietrblake for a wonderful time. All who came to lov me in Vancouver…my lov 2 u,”wrote Shah Rukh.

Thank u @TEDTalks @TEDchris @julietrblake for a wonderful time. All who came to lov me in Vancouver…my lov 2 u. pic.twitter.com/FJD3yWgxsQ

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) April 28, 2017

Also, the actor compared humanity to himself — an aging actor trying to adapt to changes. “Humanity is a lot like me, it’s an ageing movie star, grappling with all the newness around it, wondering whether it got it right in the first place and still trying to find a way to keep on shining regardless,” opined SRK. Referring to the night when he lost his father at the age of 14, Shah Rukh said, “From that night onwards, much akin to humanity in its adolescence, I learned the crude tools of survival.”

“You can use your energy to spread the darkness of destruction or you can use it to spread the joy of light to millions.” @iamsrk #TED2017 pic.twitter.com/SOIytaFhiE

— TED Talks (@TEDTalks) April 28, 2017

“We had expected an expansion of ideas and dreams; we had not bargained for the enclosure of judgment.” @iamsrk on the Internet #TED2017

— TED Talks (@TEDTalks) April 28, 2017

“Humanity is a lot like me. It’s an aging movie star, grappling with all the newness, wondering whether she got it right.” @iamsrk #TED2017

— TED Talks (@TEDTalks) April 28, 2017

Shah Rukh also recalled how life was simpler in the earlier times, unlike the present which is complicated. “The framework of life was simple then. You ate what you could find, and you did what you were told to do. You married the first girl you dated, and you were a techie if you could fix the carburetor in your car. You went wherever life took you for work, and people were mostly welcoming of you … Most important, you were who you were, and you said what you thought.”

And as the crowd was engrossed in Shah Rukh’s articulate speech, he tried to spread positivity with his life story. He told the audience how he shifted to Mumbai to make a career in acting and met many people who changed his perceptions and his ideas. He also recounted how his creativity met the right resources and made way for his stardom. “By the time I was 40, I was really flying. I had done 50 films by then, and 200 songs and I’d been knighted by the Malaysians and given the highest civil honor by the French government. Humanity was soaring with me, we were both flying off the handle, actually,” said SRK who has received the honorary doctorate at the University of Edinburgh.

See some pictures from Shah Rukh Khan’s TED Talks in Vancouver 

Reflecting upon the introduction of internet, Shah Rukh said, “Everything I said took a new meaning; everything I did — good, bad, ugly — was there for the world to comment upon and judge. Everything I didn’t say or do was also met with the same fate. We had expected an expansion of ideas and dreams; we had not bargained for the enclosure of judgement.”

Seeming not very happy with this technology-ridden world, where ‘apple’ is no longer a fruit but a company founded by Steve Jobs, SRK said, “I started to feel that I couldn’t be who I wanted to be or say what I actually thought. And humanity at this time completely identified with me. Both of us were going through our midlife crisis. Humanity, like me, was becoming an over-exposed prima donna. The whole world and all of the humanity seemed as lost as I was.”

Finding the audience completely relating to every word he spoke, the 51-year-old actor tried his best to motivate people with his experiences. He said, “The present you is brave. The present you is hopeful. The present you is innovative and resourceful. And, of course, the present you is annoyingly indefinable.”

Video: Shah Rukh Khan gifted the audience some cute brief Lungi Dance 💃 #SRKLiveAtTEDTalks pic.twitter.com/TGw5N3iILt

— SRK Universe (@SRKUniverse) April 28, 2017

.@iamsrk announces new @TEDTalks India show he’ll be hosting in Hindi. His talk was a big hit at #TED2017 pic.twitter.com/gNrFri7gmq

— Dena Takruri (@Dena) April 28, 2017

“I want to tell the other @TEDTAlks speakers – they paid me for this and they’re not paying you.” Great @iamsrk irreverent humor #TED2017 pic.twitter.com/vdH20wsepQ

— Cindy Gallop (@cindygallop) April 28, 2017

Shah Rukh Khan is one of the funniest people I’ve seen speak. #TED2017 pic.twitter.com/y6fyhv3oJC

— Davey Alba (@daveyalba) April 28, 2017

.@iamsrk is charming the @TEDTAlks audience the way he’s charmed the whole of India and the rest of the world. #TED2017 pic.twitter.com/2HpE9JV3df

— Cindy Gallop (@cindygallop) April 28, 2017

“I’ve learned that whatever moves you, whatever urges you to create, build, whatever keeps you from failing, whatever helps you survive, is perhaps the oldest and the simplest emotion known to mankind, and that is love. You may use your power to build walls and keep people outside or you may use it to break barriers and welcome them in. You may use your faith to make people afraid and terrify them into submission. Or you can use it to give courage to people, so they rise to the greatest heights of enlightenment.” continued Shah Rukh.

Concluding his speech, SRK said, “The future you, has to be like an aging movie star, who has been made to believe that there is a possibility of a world which is completely, wholly, self-obsessively in love with itself.”

Apart from his inspirational words, Shah Rukh gifted the audience a brief Lungi Dance. For all those who want to listen to more of his words, Shah Rukh will soon reach you through your television screens as the actor will be hosting the Hindi version of TED Talks titled, ‘TED Talks India: Nayi Soch’.