Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 5 (ANI): Filmmaker Karan Johar has reflected on his grand Met Gala debut, calling it a “full circle” moment that came in the most unexpected ways.
In a thoughtful post, Karan shared how it felt to bring the legacy of Raja Ravi Varma on a global platform.
“From loving cinema and costume as a wide-eyed dreamer to standing on the steps of THE Met Gala…life really does come full circle in the most unexpected ways. This moment wasn’t just about fashion for me. It was about storytelling. About taking the legacy of Raja Ravi Varma and letting it live again… this time, not on canvas, but in motion. To representing India and our culture, our art and our storytelling on the global ‘steps’,” Karan wrote on Instagram.
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The filmmaker also paid an ode to his longtime friendship and collaboration with fashion designer Manish Malhotra, who designed Karan’s Met Gala ensemble. Karan attached pictures of himself from the event.
“Thirty years of friendship and collaboration with Manish Malhotra and still creating firsts together – so grateful to you and your team for this core memory,” he added.
Many reacted to the post, including his fans and friends from the industry.
Kareena Kapoor wrote, “Baba looking smashing my love.”
Among others were Anil Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekkar, Dia Mirza, Rhea Chakraborty, and Tahira Kashyap.
At the Met Gala 2026, Karan brought to life his interpretation of the “Costume Art” theme–and the dress code of “fashion is art” in a Manish Malhotra creation.
The ensemble, designed by Manish Malhotra, draws its visual language directly from the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma, interpreting the master’s iconic command of drape, light, and ornament through contemporary couture. The silhouette is rooted in classical Indian drapery, restructured with a precision that allows fabric to move with the body without losing its sculptural authority.
The garment draws from some of Varma’s most iconic works, among them – Hamsa Damayanti, Kadambari, Arjuna and Subhadra, and There Comes Papa – each painting selected not for spectacle, but for the quiet emotional truth it carries.
What sets the look apart is its surface: hand-painted detailing executed in gold by traditional artisans, applied directly onto the garment as a painter would work on canvas.
Notably, Karan has become India’s first filmmaker to attend the prestigious Met Gala. Besides Karan, India’s Isha Ambani, Manish Malhotra, and Ananya Birla also marked their presence at fashion’s biggest night in Hollywood. (ANI)
