Can you name one place where

women, rather than men, exercise their choice, both on screen and off screen ?

You are right,

I am talking about Indian television.

(Laughter)

In a sense, it all began 20 years ago ...

when a young girl started telling stories for Indian women,

and very soon she placed the TV’s remote control

firmly in the hands of the Indian woman.

I am talking about the woman

who tells us the stories of every Indian home,

the television queen

film and TV producer Ekta Kapoor

(Applause)

Give it up for my friend Ekta Kapoor

(Cheers and applause)

I was wondering why I was called here.

Aren’t only smart, intelligent and successful people invited here?

(Laughter)

Then I got to know that TED stands for technology, entertainment and design,

so I figured I was called for entertainment.

(Laughter)

So my story began like a good daily soap.

A successful father .... the drama comes later in a daily soap.

Superstar, big car, big house ...

Everything was perfect.

I had friends who would become stars.

All my friends were going to be stars,

or had already got there.

I did not want to be a star.

The truth is that no one would have made me a star.

I was 80 kilos,

and from my dad I had got one thing

my Punjabi genes.

I could not believe that one could go to bed without eating butter chicken.

People have a sweet tooth. I had a complete sweet denture.

Life was good, but I had no plan B.

I had no option.

Sometimes your greatest curse turns out to be your best blessing.

I decided that I will start a TV serial business.

My dad invested in me.

Now comes the twist in the plot.

Your biggest twist happens when you hit ground zero.

The lowest point in your life.

When you fall lower from a low.

For me, it was when lots of my pilots got rejected.

Honestly, no channel wanted to meet me.

How many chances will we give Jeetendra’s daughter?

Some media professionals saw those pilots with my father,

and one of them asked "Are you putting your money into your daughter’s hobby?"

Now only actors understand

that in every actor’s life, there is something called a facade.

Even if he is broke,

if due to bad investments or family disputes he has little money,

he still has to have a fancy car.

For my brother’s education abroad, my mother had to pawn her jewelery,

and my father invested all his money through me.

One person went to the extent of telling him:

"You should have bought her gold instead."

My father replied,

“Gold should be within her,

what will she do with gold outside?

A gold medalist has gold within, not outside.

A medal is made of artificial gold, the real gold is inside.

I would like her gold to be inside, to be real.”

That night, I was so scared, I was shivering, and I kept throwing up.

I had ruined my father’s future.

He was talking about gold. I am hollow, totally hollow.

Papa has bet on a lame horse!

For the first time, I worked all night, and then I continued working.

I saw the pilot again and realized that they were right, I had done a bad job.

The second thing I learnt was that one should not listen to other people.

Do what you believe in.

After working all night, I went to the channel and left my pilot there.

It got approved, and I got a chance to make "Hum Paanch."

From there I got TV, and TV got me.

People think I gave a lot to TV,

but actually TV gave me a lot.

TV has given all of us a lot.

There was a time in our movies

where only stories of men were told.

The hero was a man, the villain was a man,

and women only danced around.

TV started telling the stories of women.

Whether it was Shanti or it was Tulsi or Parvati.

We faced a lot of criticism as well,

but a person in a Chicago University said in their research that,

women got a chance to speak up in family matters for the first time in India

This was because of TV.

Marital rape. Domestic violence.

Many such topics, even health care,

we addressed these on TV when social media did not even exist.

I honestly think, TV has introduced to the world and to us something:

the voice of women.

I recently released a film,

because I have the power now,

which was called "Lipstick under my burqa".

(Applause and cheers)

Actually, in that I got criticism

about how one who makes such traditional TV shows is now releasing a sex film.

I said sex and tradition are two aspects of the same woman.

Whether a story is about Tulsi, Ushaji or Silk, who are we to disrespect her?

Some look good in a saree, others in a swim suit,

but we have no right to decide what suits whom.

(Applause)

I am at that point in life where I do not know where the episode will freeze.

I am not the one writing it,

and unlike Mihir I cannot come back either.

What I do know is that

I will mentor young people, young girls.

Like my father helped me in finding the gold within me.

Today I now know the meaning of this. Gold should be within us.

Gold outside will go away, but the gold within, your ability, will stay with you.

I wish every girl finds the gold within her.

She finds so much gold within, that it shines on the entire world.

And I hope, I have only one condition

that after you get married, you do not stop working,

because when nothing else stays with you, your work does.

(Applause)

SRK

Thank you very much. God bless you. Give me a hug.

EK

Can we say one more thing? TV has given us Shah Rukh Khan.

(Cheers and applause)

SRK

Ekta Kapoor’s name is taken everywhere.

So it’s natural that young girls consider you their inspiration, their idol.

Please tell them some things to keep in mind,

some thought you have which will help them move ahead.

EK

The biggest thing is to pursue your passion. A lot of people have said this.

But for a girl, it is very tough to pursue one’s passion,

because you have to fit into different roles while pursuing your passion.

To make your choice secondary has become like second nature to you.

But do not be ashamed of your passion.

If you want to do dancing, an item song,

it’s your passion so choose it and do it.

You should have an aim.

I have an important line

"'Til I did not care, I was like a fairy. The minute I started caring I lost my wings."

SRK

'Til I did not care I was like a fairy, the minute I started caring I lost my wings.

(Applause)

I respect her mother a lot, I love Tushar,

I respect Ekta a lot, regard her

but am a fan only of Jeetendra Sahab.

(Laughter)

Thank you for being here.

Ekta really stands for our show's theme.

That we have no right to tell anyone what suits them, it’s their choice.

If someone says something about you, there is no need to listen to them

because it’s my choice.

The lady who stands for

"It's my choice."

Give a hand for Ekta Kapoor. Thank you so much.

(Applause)