Indian Netizens Criticise Met Gala Interviewers For Not Knowing Who Shah Rukh Khan Is

You would think Shah Rukh Khan, 59, widely recognised as India's most successful star, hardly needs an introduction. 

Sadly, that was not the case when the Bollywood legend made his debut appearance on the Met Gala red carpet on May 5.

In a video that has since gone viral, Shah Rukh Khan was seen approaching a journalist and was immediately asked to introduce himself. He calmly replied "I'm Shah Rukh" before continuing with the interview, speaking about his look which was created by Indian fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee. 

He later spoke to American singer-actress Teyana Taylor and Saturday Night Live comedian Ego Nwodim who were interviewing the guests for Vogue, and both women did not appear to know how famous he is. 

Fans and netizens were shocked by what happened, with many criticising the interviewers for being "ignorant", "unprepared" and "disrespectful". 

The incident sparked backlash on social media, with some Indian content creators sharing their two cents on what went wrong. 

Responding to comments from netizens who claimed they did not know who Shah Rukh Khan was either, TikToker Alisha Bhojwani said: "Shah Rukh Khan is not just another celebrity. He is not Brad Pitt, he is not Ryan Gosling. He is Shah Rukh Khan, the father of Bollywood."

She called out the "blatant ignorance" of the interviewers, critcising them for not doing their job, "which is literally just researching who you are going to interview". 

"It just shows to me and further proves the point that all South Asians are trying to make at this current moment that Caucasian culture, America specifically, is just leaning into our tradition and culture when it helps to fuel their own marketing agenda and make them money. Without giving our people or our tradition and culture the homage and respect it deserves," she continued. 

Netizens agreed with her take, with some asserting that Shah Rukh Khan is simply "too iconic" for the Met Gala. 

In his response to the uproar, TikToker Jeremy Franco (@jezbreezy) said: "Shah Rukh Khan is literally one of the most famous people on earth. My grandma can't remember her wifi password, but she will remember Shah Rukh Khan's birthday."

"He's been on Times magazine's Most Influential [list], and Forbes ranks him higher than most Hollywood A-listers. He's rich, like private-island-rich. The fact that he showed up to the Met Gala is historic, this man does not just show up to events, he is the event," he added. 

While some netizens tried to defend the interviewers, claiming that Shah Rukh Khan is "only famous in India", they were quickly corrected by others living in different parts of the world, such as New Zealand and Mexico, who said they definitely know him. 

A number also tried to steer the conversation back to how the interviewers should have done their research on Shah Rukh Khan, even if they did not know of him. 

The star himself, however, was praised for being humble and answering the questions politely. 

And here we were thinking almost everyone knows of the SRK.

Photos: iamsrk/ Instagram, @010_srk/ X