Dhar Veen, an award-winning theatre director, opened our first session with electric energy. He didn’t just speak, he performed. With poetic intensity, he spoke to the misfits, the bold dreamers, and anyone who has ever felt out of place in a world that demands conformity. His talk was a rallying cry, reminding us that being different is not a flaw but a superpower. Through stories and stagecraft, he urged us to stop waiting for permission, to own our narratives, and to take the spotlight, because we are the main characters of our lives, and the world is our stage Dhar Veen Surendran is an award-winning theatre director, actor, and scenographer trained at ASWARA, known for crafting immersive works that explore memory, identity, and emotion. His standout productions include The Last Conversation (I Wish I Had), Proses by Namron, and Aya: Anjalai Yen Amachi—a Tamil-language tribute to maternal resilience, staged during his Emerging Artist Residency at KLPAC.Blending technical skill with raw honesty, Dhar Veen brings powerful stories to life, whether behind the scenes or under the spotlight.At TEDxUKM, he shares theatre as sanctuary—a space where chaos becomes art, silence becomes voice, and misfits are finally seen. His idea is a call to those who feel different: the world is your stage, if you dare to play. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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