Is Shah Rukh Khan going to appear at the Met Gala?

It's that time of the year again. As reported by DW, every first Monday of May, the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City transform into fashion's most extravagant -—sometimes eyebrow-raising - runway for the Met Gala.

But this year, the eye-brows might raise so high they could compete with The Rock's.

King Khan's Met debut?

Typically, the Met Gala guest list is kept under wraps right until the day of the event.

But Indian media outlets such as the English-language daily Hindustan Times and social media have recently been abuzz with speculation that Bollywood legend, Shah Rukh Khan, may make his Met Gala debut this year, in an ensemble by renowned Indian couturier, Sabyasachi Mukherjee.

The frenzy first stemmed from a post by widely followed fashion and pop culture-based account Diet Sabya that read: "National headlines. Threads in meltdown. Entertainment sites foaming at the mouth. Twitter frenzy et al. Time to shut it down lol. We at DietSabya can confirm: yes, that is indeed SRK — India's undisputed generational superstar — making his Met Gala debut in May 2025, wearing Sabyasachi (India's biggest luxury brand)."

Given his global fan base — including in Germany — King Khan walking the red carpet would be a typical internet-breaking event that the Met Gala has long been associated with. And it would make him the first Indian male actor to attend the gala.

Once a midnight supper

Officially known as the Costume Institute Benefit, the Met Gala isn't just a parade of jaw-dropping outfits — it raises funds for the institute, which is the museum's only curatorial department that must fund itself. The gala coincides with the opening of the institute's annual fashion exhibition.

What began in 1948 as a modest midnight supper for New York's elite, "fashion's biggest night out," has since evolved into a highly anticipated annual event with US Vogue's Anna Wintour at its helm since 1995. Time magazine recently reported that stars forked out $75,000 (euro 66,000) apiece for last year's do; a far cry from the $50 per head in 1948.

Dandyism redefined

Each year, the Met Gala theme sets the tone for both the exhibition and the sartorial choices of its celebrity guests. This year's, chosen by Andrew Bolton, chief curator of the Costume Institute, is "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style." Inspired by Monica L. Miller's 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, the exhibition explores how tailoring has shaped Black identities.

Miller, a professor of Africana studies at Barnard College, also guest-curated the show.

"Dandyism can seem frivolous, but it often poses a challenge to or a transcendence of social and cultural hierarchies," Miller said in a press release. "It asks questions about identity, representation, and mobility in relation to race, class, gender, sexuality, and power. The exhibition explores this concept as both a pronouncement and a provocation."

This year is the second time menswear is in the spotlight, since 2003's "Bravehearts: Men in Skirts."

A different team co-chairs the event with Anna Wintour each year: This time, it includes actor and Oscar nominee Colman Domingo, Formula 1 racer Lewis Hamilton, rapper A$AP Rocky, and singer and Louis Vuitton Men's Creative Director Pharrell Williams, while the host committee includes singer Janelle Monae and acclaimed author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.