Karan Johar chaired a thought-provoking session titled The Journey: From Outsider to Ruler on the inaugural day of the Waves Summit 2025 in Mumbai, which featured Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone. The conversation shifted from its initial focus on aspirations and achievements to a profound introspection on self-definition, confidence, and the futility of the "outsider vs. insider" paradigm in the entertainment industry.

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Shah Rukh Khan on "insider-outsider" narrative

SRK was quick to dispute Johar's premise when the filmmaker (watch Gyaarah Gyaarah) asked the superstar about the hunger and ambition that characterised his formative years in Mumbai.

"There’s a lot of discussion about hunger, ambition… All these are lofty words. It’s wonderful to describe yourself as ‘haan main bohot bhooka tha aur maine bohot mehnat ki’ (yes, I was very hungry and I worked very hard)… But these are lofty words. I don’t believe in them," Shah Rukh declared.

Often praised as the archetypal outsider who became Bollywood's Badshah, the 59-year-old actor has questioned the validity of such terms.

"I also have a problem with the distinction between the outsider and the insider. I think it’s not important where you come from… Aap kahan se aate ho yeh zaroori nahi hai (Where you come from is not important). What’s important is that you’ve entered this world… Aur jo bhi duniya aap choose karte ho, usme aap apni jagah kaise banate ho (And whichever world you choose, how you create your space in it is what matters), he remarked.

Shah Rukh Khan on futility of labels

Shah Rukh (watch Yes Boss) spoke against the perils of wallflower mentality and self-limiting ideas in an impassioned and introspective speech.

"What happens is that most people start thinking, ‘I’m from the outside world, and only the privileged will get a chance… I don’t have a distinguished background, so I won’t get it.’ If you start wallowing in self-pity and thinking this way, you’ll never give your full energy to make a space for yourself in the world you want to be a part of. Yeh jo duniya hoti hai na jismein hum ghusna chahte hain… Yeh outsider-insider sab baatein hain (This world we want to enter, these outsider-insider conversations are just talk). This world doesn’t give a damn about you. You’re insignificant. They don’t care where Deepika came from, where Shah Rukh came from, or where Karan came from… whether it’s filmi or non-filmi, rich or poor… You have to find your space in the sphere by pushing it and working hard," he stated.

As Shah Rukh reflected on his journey—from a young lad in Delhi without any filmi connections to becoming one of the most acclaimed actors in Indian cinema—he inserted a very moving element.

"Jab main yahan aaya tha, I never thought ki main outsider hoon iss liye main iss duniya ka hissa nahi ban sakta (When I came here, I never thought that because I’m an outsider, I can’t be part of this world). I believed this was my world. And to be honest, everybody embraced me with open arms, like a new son landing on Marine Drive. Mujhe laga yeh duniya meri hai… yeh jagah meri hai (I felt like this world was mine… this place was mine). I think I lost a family in 24 hours and gained a new one in 24 hours."