Shah Rukh Khan's MET Gala 2025 debut: A Style Statement or a Lesson For Bollywood?

It was a proud moment for Bollywood as Shah Rukh Khan became the first Indian male actor to walk the red carpet at MET Gala 2025. Dressed in his favourite hue black, Shah Rukh Khan served oodles of swag, charm and aura as he flaunted a look that merged Western tailoring, Indian craftsmanship and Bollywood’s larger-than-life sensibility. The superstar humbly introduced himself on the red carpet and said he only agreed to come to MET Gala 2025 because of his kids. While fans swooned over his look, there was that hint of disappointment as he needed to ‘introduce himself’ to Western media.

Bollywood movies have traditionally found takers in Central Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. Indian content is widely popular in those markets. But here, we are talking about King Khan – a man whose fan base extends from the mountains of Cusco in Peru to the lanes of North Africa. The Badshah of Bollywood’s fandom is perhaps bigger than any top Hollywood star. We have all read reports of him being approached for the next big Marvel film. Trade experts are predicting how even an extended cameo from him can guarantee billions of dollars to MCU. So, while we are overjoyed to see our superstar shine on the red carpet, is this a sign that Bollywood truly needs to up its game.

Since two years, we have seen Hollywood film trackers post about how well Hindi films like Pathaan, Jawan did globally. They were ahead of all American releases the world over, and only behind Chinese movies that superseded just on the strength of their domestic box office. Telugu movies have a huge market in North America, and their top stars are keen to expand at the international level. Prabhas, Jr NTR, Ram Charan are trying their level best to cash in on their newfound fandoms in Japan. What is stopping our top Indian film stars from doing fan meets abroad? It is a known fact that Shah Rukh Khan engages with his fans from all over the globe but Bollywood studios too need to step in.

Today, Korean actors and actresses, even those who are not in the A+ category have fan bases in the West. One can argue that their content is more aligned with Western sensibilities, which is why people are gravitating towards them but that’s not all. There has been a conscious 360-degree marketing campaign from actors and their agencies in various countries to maintain old fans and attract new ones.

Shah Rukh Khan has proved time and again that he is Bollywood’s biggest soft power. King Khan has the aura, intellect, wisdom and knowledge to shine on every stage, whether it is related to films or macroeconomics. Has Bollywood failed to capitalize on its tag of being one of the biggest entertainment industries of the world? It is a resounding yes. It greatly stems from the fact that Indian producers do not care much about foreign marketing if a film clicks at the domestic box office. We have never sought that ‘Western validation’.

The above incident is inconsequential given how Shah Rukh Khan owned his first MET Gala appearance but Bollywood truly needs to reflect and swing into action.