When Shah Rukh Khan took a leaf out of JK Rowling’s speech

Oct 6: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan spoke about his experience during his difficult times, at the All India Management Association (AIMA) in September.

Shah Rukh Khan spoke about his days of poverty and what those days have taught him.

However, what makes it worthy of notice this time is that the speech seems straight out of famous British author JK Rowling's speech at Harvard in 2008.

'Harry Potter' author JK Rowling too had seen her share of poverty before the boy wizard came to her rescue. In her speech, JK Rowling had spoken about failure, poverty, her broken marriage and the benefits that came with that made her who she is today.

The fact that Shah Rukh Khan 'lifted' parts of J K Rowlings speech was brought to the notice by Bangalore-based social media consultant Agratha Dinakaran (mercurialpurple.blogspot.com) on her blog.

For example, in her speech JK Rowling said that poverty was not an 'ennobling experience'. She added: "Poverty entails fear, and stress, and sometimes depression; it means a thousand petty humiliations and hardships."

Shocking words of SRK: "Let me tell you, poverty is not an ennobling experience at all. Poverty entails fear and stress and sometimes, depression. I've seen my parents go through it many times - it means a thousand petty humiliations and hardships."

The next is when, JK Rowling said, "Happiness lies in knowing that life is not a check-list of acquisition or achievement. Your qualifications, your CV, are not your life, though you will meet many people of my age and older who confuse the two. Life is difficult, and complicated, and beyond anyone's total control, and the humility to know that will enable you to survive its vicissitudes."

Tweaking the words a little bit, Shah Rukh Khan said: "I'd like to tell you all that life is not just a checklist of acquisitions, attainments and fulfilments. Your qualifications and CVs don't matter, your jobs don't matter. Instead, life is difficult and complicated and beyond your control, and to know that with humility, respecting your failures will help you survive its vicissitudes."

Looks like the ever-witty SRK also fell short of words!