Karan Johar gets emotional talking about Shah Rukh Khan at his Met Gala debut: 'He's the reason I stand here'

Karan Johar at Met Gala 2026 (Pic/X)

Karan Johar made his debut at the Met Gala 2026 earlier on Tuesday. In a historic moment, Karan became the first Indian filmmaker to attend the prestigious event. For the occasion, he donned a bespoke ensemble by Manish Malhotra, with the design drawing inspiration from the iconic artworks of Raja Ravi Varma. While speaking at the event, Karan credited actor and his dear friend Shah Rukh Khan for his appearance.

Karan Johar credits Shah Rukh Khan

During a conversation with BBC at the event, Karan Johar was asked about his bond with Shah Rukh Khan. Notably, SRK attended the Met Gala last year while Johar made his debut this year. The director was asked how it felt to follow in his footsteps. Karan's response was emotional and heartfelt, reflecting the decades-long friendship he shares with the King Khan.

Karan 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."

For the unversed, Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan share one of Bollywood's most successful creative partnerships, which shaped mainstream Hindi cinema in the late '90s and 2000s. Their association started with Johar's directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and followed through a number of defining films such as Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, and My Name Is Khan.

Karan Johar makes his Met Gala debut

Karan Johar made a striking debut at the Met Gala 2026, wearing a lavish outfit by Manish Malhotra titled Framed in Eternity, embracing the dresscode, 'Fashion is Art.' The ensemble transformed the works of Raja Ravi Varma into a moving tapestry. Johar took to Instagram to explain, "Raja Ravi Varma felt right because his work does something I've always tried to do in cinema. He painted feelings."

The outfit featured a power-shouldered vintage jacket layered over a hand-painted cape measuring approximately six feet in length. It was brought to life by over 80 artisans across 85 days. The ensemble drew directly from Varma's iconic works, including Lady with the Peach, Hamsa Damayanti, Kadambari, Arjuna and Subhadra, and There Comes Papa.