Superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who was feted with Crystal award at the World Economic Forum alongisde Cate Blanchett and Elton John, stole the show with his inspirational speech on Monday (January 22).

The 52-year old actor received the award for showing exemplary commitment to work towards human dignity through his non-profitable organisation, Meer Foundation.

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The Raees actor was the only celeb from Bollywood to be present in attendance at the Forum and his inspirational speech personifies his stature as why he is one of the most respected actors across the globe.

In an emotional yet inspiring speech, Shah Rukh said: “I am genuinely and deeply grateful for such an honour. It is a privilege to be in the company of two phenomenal and extraordinary talent and human beings, Cate Blanchett and Sir Elton John.”

“Actors are renowned narcissists. No matter how much we pretend not to believe in external beauty, we tend to be obsessed by it one way or the other. A few years ago, I came across a lady, who had been brutalised by an acid attack. The moment I met her it kind of changed my life or my perspective of it, at least,” Shah Rukh added.

King Khan believes it’s one of the crudest acts to disfigure a woman’s face by throwing acid on her.

“To disfigure a woman by throwing acid on her face, to me, is one of the crudest, basest acts of subjugation imaginable. At the source of it lies the view that a woman does not have the right to assert her choice, say no to the advances of a man or a group of people. And yet, each of the women I met, I found within them the courage to move on with their lives and reject the idea of victimhood. What struck me most about them was this– what was done to them only made them stronger, braver and able to free themselves, to make the choices everyone around them was telling them they could not make or should not make.”

“When I journeyed through the life of these heroic women and children through the work of Meer Foundation, I experienced a complete reversal of perspective. I stumbled upon the truth that there are no benefactors and beneficiaries between living beings anymore. There is just a vast pool of resources – natural, spiritual, economic and technological – that everyone is equally entitled but some have gained by more access to it. Either by accident, as in my case, or by talent, design and hard work as in the case of all of you present here,” SRK added.

The actor thanked his sister, wife and daughter for teaching him the value of a YES from a woman.

“I want to thank my sister, my wife and my little daughter for bringing me up well and teaching me the value of requesting, sometimes imploring and begging a yes from a woman, instead of forcing it upon her,” SRK concluded his speech.

Shah Rukh’s NGO Meer Foundation provides support to female victims of acid attacks and major burn injuries through medical treatment, legal aid, vocational training, rehabilitation and livelihood support.