Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; August 19, 2019)

Riding high on the success of his latest release Super 30, Hrithik Roshan has now been invited by the Oxford Union, which is the historically-acclaimed student society at the prestigious Oxford University. The union has extended the coveted invitation letter to the actor to speak at their University and interact with the students.

Reportedly, many of the members of the Oxford Union are Bollywood fans or aspiring actors themselves, and they are looking forward to hearing Hrithik narrate the tales and inspirations behind his rise to stardom. With a career spanning across 19 years, and a wide range of roles, his latest outing as the mathematician Anand Kumar in Super 30 has been lauded and the film has been a box-office success, too.

Says Hrithik, “I am extremely delighted that not just in India, but people overseas are also appreciating the hard work we have put in Super 30. It’s my responsibility to spread as much inspiration, happiness, and knowledge as I can through the cinema I do and even, through interactions. The movie is about a selfless man who is spreading the word of knowledge and education and making people’s lives better. Thanking audiences in India and abroad, I look forward to meeting the students at this prestigious Union.”

While the date is yet to be finalised, the Kaabil star is likely to fly to the UK and speak at the union at the end of this year.

Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; July 5, 2017)

If there’s something that can rival Shah Rukh Khan’s acting skills, it is his oratory. After charming the audience with his signature wit and humour at his maiden TED Talk in Vancouver in April, the actor is ready to weave magic with his words again – this time at Oxford University. Khan confirms to mid-day that he has accepted the invitation to deliver a lecture at the prestigious university and is in the process of working out his dates.

“I love to talk,” says Khan with a smile, before adding, “Whenever someone invites me to deliver a speech, I always consider it an opportunity. I have been to Yale earlier (in 2012) and now, I have received an invitation from Oxford. I’ll go if I have the time and if it fits into my scheme of things.” Khan was invited by Alan Rusbridger, the Principal of Oxford University, in November last year, when the latter wrote to the superstar on Twitter, “Can we tempt you to Oxford University to talk to our students @lhmoxford? They love you (I’m the principal).”

Khan’s speech at the recent TED Talk too was met with tremendous appreciation. While people normally talk about their success stories on the platform, he chose to speak about humanity, love and the relevance of fame during his speech. Talking about his association with the global conference association, he says, “I have always liked TED Talks and have grown up watching them. So, if I am invited for it, it’s a big honour. I get to learn a lot of things from the people who come to hear me out. It’s a fulfilling experience to stand amongst people who have achieved so much and exchange ideas with them. Otherwise, we are just in a cocoon and keep discussing, ‘Bhai, India mein business kitna hua?’”

Khan might be busy juggling the promotions of Jab Harry Met Sejal and the shoot of Aanand L Rai’s untitled venture, but he insists that he will make the time to write his own speech for Oxford. “I don’t like anyone writing for me. It takes time for me to sit down and write, given my schedule, but it has to be done by me. I am yet to zero in on a subject for this talk.”