May 7, 2025: Amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the Indian Army’s recent Operation Sindoor, Pakistani fashion designer Zara Shahjahan has become the subject of intense online criticism for her emotional tribute to Shah Rukh Khan and Diljit Dosanjh after their appearances at the 2025 Met Gala.
Operation Sindoor, a reported precision strike targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, was carried out in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people. As the diplomatic fallout deepens, social media in Pakistan has become a reflection of the strained political environment.
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Amid this backdrop, Shahjahan posted a series of Instagram stories celebrating the two Indian stars. In one story, she wrote: “Last night, two of our stars lit up the Met Gala. Shah Rukh – the dream we grew up with. Diljit – the beat we move to now… And yet, in these moments… we are not allowed to clap. Our hands are tied by suspicion, our joy swallowed by our silence.”
In another post, she poetically reflected, “It is a strange thing, to grow up loving someone who may never be allowed to love you back… and now – to see them step into the world’s spotlight and feel like strangers watching from across the wall.”
Her sentiments, though heartfelt, struck a raw nerve with many Pakistani social media users. Critics accused her of being tone-deaf during a period of national mourning and heightened patriotism.
Some of the sharpest comments read:
- “Self-respect has left the chat.”
- “So shameless. Kitna obsession hai Bollywood se!”
- “Is Met Gala that important? And how are they ‘our’ stars?”
- “What exactly is she trying to say? Totally uncalled for.”
The backlash reflects not only the political climate but also the long-standing cultural ambivalence between admiration and disapproval when it comes to Bollywood’s influence in Pakistan.
The controversy comes as India has also moved to ban several Pakistani YouTube channels and social media handles, further straining digital and cultural ties between the two nations.
Meanwhile, the two stars at the center of the storm made history on the global stage. Shah Rukh Khan, making his Met Gala debut, turned heads in a bold Sabyasachi creation, going shirtless beneath a tailored black suit adorned with layered gold chains and a striking tiger-head cane.
Diljit Dosanjh embraced his Punjabi heritage with an ivory-and-gold royal ensemble designed by Prabal Gurung, complete with a dramatic cape embroidered with Punjabi script and a ceremonial sword, in a tribute to Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala.
While Zara Shahjahan’s words aimed to celebrate artistic triumph across borders, they have inadvertently highlighted how cultural admiration continues to wrestle with political divides in South Asia.