Shah Rukh Khan on power and empower

‘Ability to make people happy is power’
Says Shah Rukh Khan while discussing his superstars and shares tips on ways to empower oneself

SRK on what power means to him

Power in business, politics and in so many other things is relevant. But, creativity has no power. I think the only power that you can talk about in creativity is the power of being able to be happy and make people happy. There is no other power. So if you ask me what power is, it has no tangibility. You cannot measure it. If I am able to call up someone for an interview and the person relents, there are more chances of that happening in the creative business of the association with people. It has got nothing to do with how powerful you are. Power varies for people. For me, it is being able to make people happy and as many people as I can. Whether it’s a party at home, plane ride with a passenger I don’t know or giving an interview, if I make people happy at the end of it, then that is power. The ability to make people happy at any given time, place is power and I think I have that.

I think I am gentle, courteous, well brought up and educated. I think that respect and love comes to me because of the way I deal with people. You know there is a story I have heard, someone was walking and somebody turned to him and said see how much power you have that you are walking in the front and thousands of people are walking behind you. And as soon as he said that, the leader said that’s not power. Power is not the ability to lead people but power is to take them along. So he went to the end of the line and said let everyone walk ahead and I will look after them from the back. That’s what power is.

So when people think rightly, wrongly or in whatever context I am powerful, then of course I am so in the entertainment industry, and they see a lot of me which is just one part. But the ability to take people along with you is actual power.

SRK on eight ways to empower oneself

1-      Do what makes you happy.

2-      Make sure that people who you love- family and friends- know who you are.

3-      Do not get carried away with what people think.

4-      More or less, you can’t be 100 per cent honest, so make sure the money that you earn, you have given more value for money through your work. 

5-      Do not work for results, enjoy the process.

6-      Be happy with success and do not get depressed by failure.

7-      Learn from failures. It does not mean change your way of working. But try and know that the fear of failure always makes you succeed. So there is nothing wrong in being scared of being wrong.

8-      Don’t hide your work from people. Share your work. What you think is good, share it with people.  So even out of 10 people you have shared it with, if nine don’t like it, it’s alright. You believe in it, you think it is right, you worked hard on it. It’s alright if some people don’t like it.