For an event built on spectacle, the Met Gala has always offered surprisingly little space for Indian faces. Each year’s theme—from Heavenly Bodies to Garden of Time to this year's Superfine: Tailoring Black Style—demands invention, daring, and a willingness to tip into the absurd.
Indian women have answered the call with some iconic fits over the years, but the men have been conspicuously absent. Even anonymous fashion watchdog Diet Sabya cheekily teased Shah Rukh Khan for his no-show status. As this year’s Met approaches, we’re still waiting for the first Indian man to step onto that hallowed staircase — ideally with flair, and not a rented tux. In the meantime, here's a look at all the celebs who've represented India at the Met Gala over the years:
Priyanka Chopra Jonas
Years attended: 2017, 2018, 2019
No stranger to bold fashion risks, Chopra Jonas made her Met debut in 2017 wearing that Ralph Lauren trenchcoat-dress hybrid, complete with a record-breaking train. 2018 saw her lean into religious iconography with a beaded burgundy velvet Ralph Lauren gown for Heavenly Bodies. By 2019, she was practically a Met Gala veteran, turning heads in a silver Dior cage dress and gravity-defying hair for Camp: Notes on Fashion. Not always subtle — but never forgettable.
Deepika Padukone
Years attended: 2017, 2019
Always the elegant counterweight, Padukone’s 2017 Tommy Hilfiger slip dress was a study in understatement during a particularly loud year. She returned in 2019, fully embracing the ‘Camp’ brief with a sculpted Zac Posen confection in metallic Barbie pink — a refreshing shift that proved she can dial up the drama when the mood strikes.
Isha Ambani
Years attended: 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023
If you’re looking for quiet displays of extreme wealth, Isha Ambani’s Met appearances are a masterclass. Whether it was a muted Dior in 2017 or an opulent Prabal Gurung custom piece dripping in pearls in 2023, Ambani never feels the need to shout for attention — the craftsmanship of her looks speaks volumes. It’s couture diplomacy at its finest.
Natasha Poonawalla
Years attended: 2018, 2019, 2022
Where most play it safe, Poonawalla plays couture dress-up with delightful abandon. 2022’s Sabyasachi x Schiaparelli collaboration — a sari-corset-gown hybrid — was nothing short of performance art. Previous outings have seen her in high-drama Dolce & Gabbana and Maison Margiela, always balancing maximalism with razor-sharp editorial polish.
Alia Bhatt
Years attended: 2023, 2024
Alia Bhatt’s debut in 2023 was pure fairytale. Dressed in Prabal Gurung, she floated down the carpet in a white princess gown hand-embroidered with thousands of pearls — a nod to Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel legacy. It was sweet, safe, and unmistakably Alia: a soft launch into Met Gala grandeur rather than a bombastic arrival.
Sudha Reddy
Years attended: 2021
A wildcard entry, Sudha Reddy opted for full gilded opulence, wearing Falguni Shane Peacock for her 2021 debut. With a heavily embellished golden gown and a crystal-studded face mask, she leaned heavily into the fantasy element of the Met — a refreshing change in a year when many played it curiously tame.
