Fans of Shah Rukh Khan across the globe were left disappointed and disheartened after witnessing what many saw as a snub of the actor and other prominent South Asian, particularly Indian, stars at the Met Gala. Held annually as a charitable fundraiser at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the event appeared unprepared—and seemingly uninterested—in properly acknowledging the presence of Indian celebrities.
As Shah Rukh Khan stepped onto the blue carpet, a reporter asked, “Who are you?” to which he responded with his usual charm and composure: “I’m Shah Rukh.” For many fans, the apparent ignorance and disregard by Western media toward a global icon was hard to watch. In a subsequent blue carpet interview, the hosts appeared unfamiliar with Khan’s immense global popularity and his three-decade-long legacy in Bollywood. The exchange felt noticeably awkward until designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee stepped in to clarify that Shah Rukh Khan is “one of the biggest stars in the world.”
King for a reason
This was the debut Gala for Shah Rukh Khan, and he is also making history by being the first Indian male actor to appear in this Gala. Many people in the United States might be unaware, in 2023, Time magazine named him among the world’s most influential people, and in 2015, Forbes estimated that his earnings make him possibly the biggest movie star in the world.
Other Indian stars face the same
A while after Khan’s interview, Diljit Dosanjh appeared on the carpet in a very culturally significant outfit. However, the Western media focused on him for a few seconds and quickly cut away. He was not interviewed as well. Kiara Advani, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Isha Ambani, Natasha Poonawalla, and Mona Patel are a few other Indians who graced the glorious carpet.
Double standards of Western media
In a series of similar videos posted by a Western media channel on their Instagram handle, they showed reporters asking introductory questions like “Who are you?” “Where are you from?” to global celebrities. Actress Anne Hathaway and supermodel Gigi Hadid were seen answering these same types of introductory questions. However, it seemed very clear that the media lacked any information concerning Indian stars. They seemed visibly awkward and unaware of the popularity and contributions of Indian stars, failing to show them the respect that was readily extended to other global celebrities.