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Monday’s Met Gala was
historic
There were several factors at play. One significant aspect was the all-Black group of co-chairs and hosts. Additionally, the event highlighted the upcoming 2025 spectacular costume exhibition centered around Black dandyism.
It was an incredible evening, with numerous celebrities from across the entertainment world making appearances. The event, as usual, was organized and presented by none other than the esteemed editor-in-chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour.
One such star making an appearance, who had never made his Met Gala debut up until this year, was none other than the King of Bollywood himself: Shah Rukh Khan. But what was supposed to be a historic moment has caused a whole ton of discourse online regarding his alleged treatment at the event.
To fully clarify what happened, let me provide some background. Even though he has never starred in a Hollywood film and limited his red-carpet events in the U.S. throughout his three-decade-long career, Shah Rukh Khan remains an incredibly active performer. Just so you know, when I mention that this man is significant, I’m emphasizing just how major of a figure he really is.
a biiiiiiig deal
.
The Met Gala stands out as the premier celebrity event of the year. However, beyond Eastern Europe, Shah Rukh—commonly referred to as SRK—is likely more recognizable than the Met itself. As the most renowned actor to come out of India, and possibly all of South Asia, he has starred in over 100 films and seen his works adapted into nearly every conceivable language. His impact is difficult to fully encapsulate, yet it remains undeniable.
Forbes
rapped it up quite nicely when, way back in 2015, they calculated that he was the most prominent movie star globally.
Even though much time has elapsed since then, SRK’s current persona has evolved from an international megastar to a cinematic icon. Should you have watched any Bollywood film, chances are high that you’d recognize him. Given his role as a leader in one of the largest film industries globally, he enjoys immense popularity.
Have you grasped the situation? Picture this: ever since Monday, when SRK went to the Met Gala and was approached by an earnest reporter, fear has been growing within the South Asian community.
asked him his name
. The very idea!
In all seriousness, Vogue and the two hosts of the Met, Teyana Taylor and Ego Nwodim, have been the subject of a huge amount of scrutiny online since Monday, after
a clip
Of the interviews featuring Shah Rukh Khan and fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee (another legend, of course) becoming popular simply because they were
so awkward
.
When questioned about his experience at the Met Gala, Shah Rukh expressed that he was “incredibly nervous” yet thrilled. He mentioned that Sabyasachi had been instrumental in persuading him to go. “Red-carpet events aren’t really my thing; I tend to be quite reserved,” he explained. Ego and Teyana attempted to comfort him by noting that the carpet was actually blue rather than red, which they hoped would ease some of his anxiety. Playing into their jests, SRK quipped that this made him feel much better.
And as the conversation went on, it became clear that SRK was pretty heavily downplaying how much of a big deal it was that he was there, perhaps for the benefit of the interviewers. At that point, Sabyasachi himself chimed in and gave some much-needed info. After Shah Rukh described his look of the night, Sabyasachi jumped in, saying, “Just to give you a little bit of context, Shah Rukh Khan is probably one of the most famous men in the world,” before Ego and Teyana both looked pretty surprised.
“His fan following is legendary,” Sabyasachi continued. “We nearly had a stampede outside of the hotel when he came out. And when you get a man like this on the red carpet, especially when it’s Black dandy, I think representation is the most important thing, and we wanted to represent Shah Rukh Khan as Shah Rukh Khan and nobody else.”
Another user
pointed out the difference between Shah Rukh’s experience in the States compared to
one interview
Of his interviews held in London, one stood out where journalists highlighted that at some point, he earned more than both Tom Cruise and Johnny Depp. “I understand it might be gauche to discuss finances, but it truly is remarkable,” commented one news anchor. The other chimed in agreeing, adding, “Just so everyone understands your significance.”
After Monday, the
New York Times
contacted Vogue regarding the controversy surrounding Shah Rukh’s interview.
Vogue responded
He pointed out that Ego emphasized that Shah Rukh was indeed the first male Bollywood actor to attend the Met. So, I suppose, that covers their perspective.
Vogue also responded
to
criticism
Regarding the treatment of another South Asian attendee at the Met Gala, DiljitDosanjh—a prominentBollywood celebrity whom you may recall seeing adorned with a stunning turban and jewelry—audienceswere displeasedthat despite sellingout arenas acrossNorthAmerica,Diljitwasn’t grantedaninterviewwithVogue like severalotherguests,andtheLivestreamcamerasonlyfocusedonhimforapproximatelythreeortwoseconds.The representativefromVoguesaidthattransferringtheresultsofocusawayfromDiljitsosharplywas”definitelynotintheirplans.”
And this situation has caused outrage within the South Asian community.
One creator
voiced dissatisfaction with Vogue’s reply, calling for an “apology, not an explanation.”
Another commenter
It was suggested that “it’s fine for Americans not to be familiar with SRK, but it’s unacceptable for the interviewers not to have researched him.”
However, SRK has mentioned that his experiences in the United States are quite different compared to the rest of the world.
In 2012, when delivering a speech at Yale
, he notably stated, “Every time I begin to feel overly proud of myself, I always decide to visit the U.S.”
“I hope he never goes back, what the hell,”
one TikTok creator said emphatically.
“And if he does, if you didn’t know, get to know.”
