Diljit Dosanjh Spills How Shakira Helped Him Carry Kirpan To Met Gala Without Even Knowing It!
Diljit Dosanjh opened up about getting emotional while planning his Met Gala look and shared how Shakira unknowingly helped him carry his kirpan past security on fashion’s biggest night.
Diljit Dosanjh’s debut at the Met Gala wasn’t just about high fashion - it was a deeply personal, emotional journey rooted in identity and cultural pride. The actor-singer made a powerful statement on the world’s biggest fashion stage this year, and in a recent chat with BBC Asian Network, he opened up about what made the experience so meaningful, including an unexpected assist from pop icon Shakira.
Diljit Dosanjh gets candid on his Met Gala debut
Diljit spoke about the moment months earlier when the idea first came to him. Sitting in his vanity van during the shoot of Sardaarji 3, he had an emotional moment envisioning his outfit - one that would carry the flag of Punjab and Gurmukhi script.
“I knew it jab main jaaunga toh koi aur nahi dikhega. Chahe voh mujhe kum dikhaayen lekin jab main jaaungi toh koi nhi dikhega (When I go there no one will have eyes on anyone else. Even if they show me less, but when I go no one else will be visible),” Diljit told BBC Asian Network.
“I always had this belief that when I go, I’ll look like a king. When I went to the Cartier showroom, I asked them, ‘Will you give me that necklace? It belonged to us, and you just took it.’ They had promised me then, but it was stuck in an exhibition, so it couldn’t be sent. I cried when I thought of my look—that I would wear an outfit with the Punjab flag on my back and Gurmukhi script written on it. That was a very big thought for me. It wasn’t important that I go there, it was important that Punjab goes there, that the turban goes there. That thought alone made me cry.”
View this post on Instagram
How Diljit walked in with his kirpan
One of the most striking elements of Diljit’s look was the kirpan - a ceremonial dagger of immense religious and cultural significance. But carrying it into the tightly secured Met Gala venue wasn’t easy. He revealed that initially, he was told he couldn’t take it onto the red carpet. His workaround? A backstage photoshoot with it, he thought.
But in the chaos of Met Gala prep, he forgot the kirpan was still with him as he headed to the venue. And then came the twist.
“Shakira was ahead of me, and her dress had a lot of metal pins and such. No one wanted to go behind her because she’s a big star, but I thought it was okay because she was in my group. So when she was going through the metal detector, it had to beep because of all the metal on her dress, and I had the kirpan in my hand, so I just walked through with her. I thought, ‘If we get caught, we both will; if not, then not.’ I had the kirpan under my cape. They checked Shakira but didn’t check me,” Diljit said with a laugh.
Diljit Tops Vogue’s Best Dressed List at Met Gala 2025
The Born to Shine star’s elegant look - crafted by designer Prabal Gurung - quickly earned him praise around the globe. His ivory sherwani, complemented by a flowing cape embroidered with Punjab’s map and Gurmukhi lettering, was a powerful fusion of tradition and luxury. He finished the ensemble with a neatly tied turban and the symbolic kirpan.
So impactful was his appearance that Vogue named him among the Best Dressed Celebrities at the 2025 Met Gala.
Top Headlines
