Biswajit Jha shares how he transformed from someone paralysed by stage fright to speaking on TEDx, Josh Talks, and international platforms.
Way back in 2017, I faced a situation I had always feared. Little did I know that this incident would one day lead me to public speaking.
I was visiting Rajganj, my native village, when, out of the blue, my father asked me to speak on stage at the annual day of our school.
Here I must mention that I had always been a victim of stage fright. I preferred the pen to the microphone. So my immediate reaction was to refuse. But my father was adamant. He said, “No excuses. This time, you have to speak, and that’s final.”
Honestly, I had always wished I could stand on a stage and speak, but the mere thought of it made my palms sweat and my legs turn to jelly. My childhood attempts at speaking into a microphone had been disastrous. The sound of my own voice — childish, lacking depth, devoid of gravitas — made me cringe. It never sounded like me.
While I hadn’t written much as a child, adulthood brought more words, more pages, and — occasionally — a sprinkling of praise. Speaking in public, however, was something I carefully avoided.
When I began studying journalism, I decided early on that my career would be in print. As for electronic media — cameras, lights, and talking into a lens — absolutely not. Later, when I moved to Delhi, I began working in print and then web media, both rooted in writing. The very idea of applying to a news channel felt like inviting a personal nightmare.
However, when I eventually moved into a leadership role, I realised that a good leader must also be a good speaker. You can have every other leadership quality in the book, but if you can’t stand before an audience and inspire them, you’re at a disadvantage. Strangely enough, my interpersonal communication had always been strong — it was public communication that terrified me.
That annual function in 2017 became my turning point. My father’s insistence left me with no choice. The audience? Mostly village parents, many without formal education — yet I started to sweat, my knees shook, my mouth dried, and my sentences came out tangled and half-formed. My mind went blank. Somehow, I stumbled through five to seven minutes and escaped the stage feeling as though I’d survived a cyclone.
That day, I swore I’d never do it again. Public speaking, I told myself, was not my cup of tea.
But then I realised that I needed to face my fear. I decided to start speaking at Epic Public School, to teachers and students who wouldn’t mock me if I stumbled.
Around 2019, I found myself in a classroom, talking to students about Friendship Day. I spoke about what friendship meant to me. I thought little of it — until I later learnt that one of the teachers had mocked me for it, even nicknaming me “Lecture Dada.”
It hurt. Deeply. But more than anything, it lit a fire. You see, I work best when I’m underestimated. That sting of humiliation gave me exactly the push I needed. That day, I promised myself I would go as far as public speaking could take me — that people from around the country and the world would one day invite me to speak and inspire.
Five years have passed since that promise. The man who once couldn’t form two sentences in front of an audience began addressing students across colleges and universities — not just in India, but abroad.
Two years ago, Josh Talks invited me to share my story — from Rajganj to Delhi and back to North Bengal — including every rejection, every humiliation, and every moment I fought my way back. My eyes welled up as I spoke.
After that, I set my sights on the world’s most iconic stage for speakers: TED. It wasn’t an easy road. I discovered that no one from North Bengal had ever spoken at TED before — but once I had the thought, I couldn’t let it go. Last year, after persistent effort, I stood on the TEDx stage in Delhi. I was overjoyed.
Then came an invitation to speak at an international literary festival in Kerala — sharing a platform with a Nobel laureate in literature and two Booker Prize winners.
Now, I’m invited to speak in various places, but my greatest joy is still at Epic Public School, teaching my students the art of public speaking. Just last year, I listened with pride as they took part in our school’s public speaking competition — fearless, fluent, and full of life. Many now speak on big platforms, winning competitions. I dream that one day they’ll stand on the TEDxYouth stage. We’re preparing for it together.
And I dream even bigger — that some of my students will grow to be the next Sundar Pichai or Satya Nadella, standing on global stages, speaking to the world. Because in every word they speak, in every audience they inspire, I will see a little bit of myself.
