SRK is a large part of my career repertoire: KJo gets emotional at Met Gala

At his 2026 Met Gala debut, Karan Johar reflected on Shah Rukh Khan's role in his career. The filmmaker shared how the moment defined his long bond with the superstar and with SRK's Met debut in 2025, KJo believes it's full circle now.

In Short

• Karan Johar called his 2026 Met Gala debut a full-circle moment while reflecting on Shah Rukh Khan
• He said Khan was a major part of his career
• KJo described fashion as a storytelling tool that defines characters and arcs

Karan Johar spoke about his long association with Shah Rukh Khan during his debut appearance at the 2026 Met Gala, describing the moment as emotional and calling it a full-circle experience.

In an interview with the BBC, Johar said Khan had played a major role in shaping his career and said following him to the Met a year after the actor attended the gala carried personal meaning.

On Shah Rukh Khan

Speaking about superstar, the director said, “Well, for me it's so emotional. Shah Rukh is such a large part of my career repertoire. I've done my first five films with him, and he's the reason I stand here today. So for him to have come last year and me this year, it's like life feels like a complete circle."

Johar and Khan have shared a long creative partnership in Hindi cinema. Their collaboration began with Johar’s directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and later included films such as Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, and My Name Is Khan.

Fashion and cinema

In the same interview, Johar said fashion has been central to his cinema and to his personal interests, and described it as a storytelling device that helps shape characters and their journeys.

He attended the gala in a Manish Malhotra ensemble titled Framed in Eternity, which drew from the works of Raja Ravi Varma.

“Fashion has been a huge part of my cinema. It's also a massive hobby of mine, but I've also tried to integrate fashion through storytelling and through characters through the years and through my films. I'm just glad to represent India at the Met, especially when the theme is ‘Fashion is Art’,” Johar added.

Karan Johar's Met Gala look

For his debut at the 2026 Met Gala, Johar wore Manish Malhotra’s Framed in Eternity. The outfit reimagined the works of Raja Ravi Varma as wearable art and featured a structured vintage jacket with power shoulders and a hand-painted cape stretching nearly six feet.

The ensemble was styled by Eka Lakhani and was crafted over 85 days by more than 80 artisans. It drew from Varma’s paintings including Lady with the Peach, Hamsa Damayanti, Kadambari, Arjuna and Subhadra.

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