Accept the Challenges | Rehman Khan | TEDxMaharashtraCollege

Family and Background

• The speaker's family is from Balrampur, a place in Uttar Pradesh, India.
• The speaker was born and raised in Mumbai, India.
• The speaker's father was a teacher of Sanskrit and Hindi.
• The speaker was considered the "black sheep" of their family because no one else had pursued a career in acting or entertainment.
• The speaker's father was disappointed when he learned about his son's interest in theater.

Early Challenges and Rejection

• The speaker's biggest challenge was accepting the challenge of pursuing a career in acting and entertainment.
• People criticized the speaker for dancing, not understanding that it was a significant art form.
• The speaker hid his trophies and certificates from his family.
• The speaker received the first best actor award from the Maharashtra State Urdu Academy in 1999.
• He hid the award because he was afraid it would be damaged.
• The speaker did not have any support system or help to achieve his success.
• The speaker's father discouraged him from pursuing his chosen field because he believed it was uncertain and challenging.
• The speaker's father did not want to see him fail, as many people do in this field.
• The speaker's father's concern stemmed from the fear of his son's potential failure.
• The speaker's father passed away before he achieved success, but the speaker believes his father would have been happy for him.
• The speaker attempted to work as a lyricist, approaching producers.
• The speaker was a student at the time, and their appearance was youthful, while their speech was philosophical.
• Producers did not believe the speaker had written the lyrics, questioning their authorship.
• The speaker was asked to spell "lyricist," and they struggled to do so.
• The speaker was rejected by the producers and pursued a career in theater.
• The speaker believes their theater training has been valuable in their current profession.

Success and Recognition

• The speaker has performed comedy shows in various locations around the world, including television shows like "Great Indian Laughter Challenge," "Comedy Circus," and "Kapil Sharma Show."
• The speaker mentions that a specific community, the Bhatkal community in Saudi Arabia, has been very supportive of their career.
• The speaker was invited to perform in Saudi Arabia and describes the Bhatkal community as religious and kind.
• The speaker believes that he was able to achieve his success through the grace of God.

The Importance of Honesty

• The speaker was invited to a comedy show with certain conditions.
• The conditions included not singing, not talking about cricket, not discussing politics, not imitating any actor, and most importantly, not lying.
• The speaker was interested in the show but was concerned about the condition of not lying.
• The speaker explained that lying is forbidden in Islam and that even small lies, like telling someone they look good when they don't, are considered wrong.
• The speaker decided to decline the invitation due to the condition of not lying.

Overcoming Challenges and Failures

• The speaker believes that challenges and hardships are opportunities for growth and improvement.
• The speaker emphasizes that one should not be discouraged by challenges, but rather use them to become stronger.
• The speaker shares that they have experienced many failures and that they are still learning.
• The speaker acknowledges that this is their first TEDx experience and that they are speaking from the heart.
• The speaker experienced numerous failures and rejections in their life.
• They felt like they were cursed and that everything they touched failed.
• The speaker felt like they were destined to bring misfortune to any endeavor they participated in.
• The speaker's friends even suggested sending them to businesses to cause them to shut down.
• The speaker felt like they were destined to be rejected and that their efforts would be futile.
• Despite these feelings, the speaker continued to try and eventually participated in the Great Indian Doctor Challenge in 2007.
• The speaker initially found the idea of making people laugh to be strange and did not understand its appeal.
• The speaker decided that if they were to pursue comedy, they would add meaning and value to their work by incorporating thought-provoking elements.
• The speaker faced a significant challenge when their director rejected their initial work, including their lines and songs.
• The speaker's confidence was shaken after the director's rejection.
• The speaker discusses the challenges of being a vegetarian in a society that consumes a lot of meat.
• The speaker mentions that they felt overwhelmed by the pressure to conform and felt like they couldn't do anything about it.
• The speaker then shares a quote about discipline and how it can help overcome challenges.
• The speaker mentions that the quote resonated with them and helped them to understand that they needed to work harder to achieve their goals.
• The speaker listened to a song from the film "Koi Meri Jaan" daily while training for wrestling.
• The song's lyrics, "Jeet Jayenge Hum Tu Agar Sang Hai," resonated with the speaker, who felt that if he had help, he would succeed.
• The speaker believed that "Mighty Allah" would help him.
• The speaker faced challenges in his wrestling career, where he would prepare diligently but someone else would outperform him.
• The speaker was surprised by the performance of these individuals, as he believed he was the better wrestler.
• The speaker was a participant in a competition that included Kapil Sharma.
• The speaker was eliminated in the first round, but due to his hard work, he was given a second chance.
• The speaker was again eliminated in the second round, despite performing better than another participant who was ultimately chosen.
• The speaker was confused and upset by the outcome, questioning why he was eliminated despite his efforts.
• The speaker was so disheartened that he considered quitting television.
• The speaker was feeling discouraged and wanted to cry, but refrained from doing so due to the presence of others.
• Someone advised the speaker not to change clothes and stay seated.
• The speaker was then taken backstage and announced as a talented individual who would be given direct entry into the semi-finals.
• The speaker was surprised by this decision and attributed it to divine intervention.
• The speaker then recited a verse by Nida Fazli, which translates to "The lion roars, the thirsty earth receives rain."
• The speaker describes a situation where he was rejected by a friend in college.
• The speaker was selected for a semi-final round of a competition, despite not being prepared.
• The speaker was selected alongside Kapil, who was also a participant in the competition.
• The speaker believes that the rejection and the competition were blessings in disguise.
• The speaker received a large comedy show opportunity that made him a star.
• The speaker was paired with a partner named Chitra, who was an actress but not experienced in comedy.
• The speaker was eliminated from the show after five episodes, despite the presence of other well-known comedians.
• The speaker remembers performing a famous qawwali act, believing it would be a strong performance, but it did not lead to success.
• The speaker mentions Sudesh and Krishna, likely other comedians on the show.
• The speaker describes a situation where two comedians performed exceptionally well, causing him to feel discouraged and question his own abilities.
• He mentions feeling overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next, questioning the need to create something good when others are already excelling.
• The speaker shares that he sought guidance through prayer, reciting a specific prayer repeatedly throughout the day.
• He expresses feeling lost and uncertain about his path, lacking direction and skills.
• The speaker emphasizes his desire to find his place and achieve success within his field.
• He describes a breakthrough moment where, through divine intervention, he was given an opportunity to showcase his talent.
• The speaker was given a significant opportunity to showcase their achievements.
• The speaker chose to focus on the challenges they faced rather than their accomplishments.
• The speaker participated in a comedy show where they performed well but did not reach their peak potential.
• Another participant performed exceptionally well, leading the speaker to feel discouraged.
• The speaker's director, Garaj Pal, encouraged them to strive to do better than the other participant.
• The speaker received a standing ovation after performing a qawwali.
• The speaker believes that the challenges in their life, which they initially perceived as failures, were actually meant to strengthen them.
• The speaker's career involved a period of success in television followed by a three-year hiatus.
• The speaker discusses the challenges of success and how it can be dangerous.
• The speaker emphasizes the importance of surrender and humility, recognizing that success is often not solely attributed to oneself.
• The speaker acknowledges that success can be driven by the aspirations of family members, including children, parents, spouses, and extended family.
• The speaker highlights the need to remain grounded and avoid taking credit for success, recognizing that it is often a collective effort.
• The speaker shares a personal experience of feeling overwhelmed by success and the importance of staying grounded.
• The speaker noticed a decline in recognition after reaching a certain age.
• He introspected, apologized, and started a YouTube channel in 2017.
• His first video, "Bombay Versus Mumbai," went viral, leading to increased recognition.
• The video initially received few views, but it later trended widely.
• The speaker was recognized by an auto-rickshaw driver and students from various schools and colleges who had seen his video.
• A young girl expressed that she felt like her time had begun again and that Allah had given her a new opportunity.
• She began working hard and her channel grew.
• She continued to upgrade herself by observing what other young people were doing.
• She learned that she was invited to a wedding and her younger brother, Yapi, told her that her time had come again and that it was better than before.
• The speaker emphasizes that stagnant water in ponds decays, while rivers that flow become oceans.
• The speaker encourages the audience to keep moving forward, seeking help from God, and remaining persistent.

Addressing Social Issues Through Comedy

• The speaker discusses how he wanted to address serious issues in his stand-up comedy, not just make people laugh.
• He wanted to express his feelings as a Muslim in his country.
• He felt a sense of sadness when people questioned his patriotism, despite his love for his country and his religious practices.
• He felt confused and questioned why he was being doubted.
• He used comedy, satire, and sarcasm to express his views.

Rehman Khan's Mission and Responsibility

• Rehman Khan acknowledges that he is aware of the significant amount of work that needs to be done.
• He expresses gratitude for the people who have changed their opinions about him after watching his videos.
• Khan emphasizes the importance of having a purpose behind every action.
• He states that he has performed internationally in many countries, but he does not want to boast about his achievements.
• Khan highlights his mission and responsibility, which he strives to fulfill.
• Rehman Khan states that he sometimes makes commitments to people but does not always follow through.
• He acknowledges that breaking promises is wrong.
• He assures the audience that he will definitely visit their college and make them laugh.