The Art of the Comeback | Sharath Chandra | TEDxSIBMBengaluru

Sharath Chandra, co-founder and CEO of Chai Shots and a film producer, reflects on how life's setbacks can shape a person. Drawing on 15 years across entrepreneurship, cinema and digital media, he describes choosing an MBA and marketing over the engineering career his family expected, and facing repeated rejection from established film producers as a young entrepreneur. Those early setbacks led to a digital marketing agency that went on to market more than 200 films. He encourages viewers to change how they respond to adversity, asking "How does the hero in me respond to this?" rather than "Why is this happening to me?" The talk advocates self-belief, resilience and the courage to embrace uncertainty. This TEDx talk was independently organized by a local community using the TED conference format.

• Career choices that departed from family expectations
• Repeated rejection by film producers early on
• Building a digital marketing agency that marketed over 200 films
• Reframing adversity: "How does the hero in me respond?"

Join Sharath Chandra, co-founder and CEO of Chai Shots, film producer, and entrepreneur, as he explores how the challenges we encounter in life can become the very forces that shape us. Drawing from his journey across entrepreneurship, cinema, and digital media, he reflects on the idea of the “villains” in our lives—not as obstacles meant to defeat us, but as catalysts that bring out the hero within us. Through stories from the past 15 years, Sharath recounts the moments that pushed him beyond conventional paths—from choosing an MBA and a career in marketing over the engineering job his family expected, to facing repeated rejection from established film producers as a young entrepreneur. What initially felt like failure and uncertainty eventually led to the creation of a successful digital marketing agency that went on to market more than 200 films. With honesty and optimism, Sharath invites audiences to change the way they respond to adversity. Instead of asking, “Why is this happening to me?”, he encourages us to ask, **“How does the hero in me respond to this?”** Advocating for self-belief, resilience, and the courage to embrace uncertainty, he reminds us that every challenge carries the possibility of transformation—and that sometimes, the strongest version of ourselves emerges only when life gives us a reason to rise. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Sharath Chandra, producer and co-founder of Chai Bisket and Chai Shots, is a storyteller-entrepreneur shaping regional digital content, building creator ecosystems, and crafting culture-led narratives for audiences across ages, languages, and platforms. 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