Priyanka Chopra hints at Met Gala absence due to 'Varanasi' shoot: 'Being a spectator is just as fun'

Priyanka Chopra is already thinking about the 2026 Met Gala, but she sounds far from certain she will make it to New York this year. The actor says a demanding shoot could place her on the other side of the world when the event takes place. If her schedule holds, she could miss the first Monday in May because she expects to be in Antarctica filming ‘Varanasi.’

Priyanka Chopra's Met Gala 2026 plans remain uncertain

According to British Vogue, Chopra raised the possibility of missing the 2026 Met Gala while she was in Paris for Jonathan Anderson’s autumn and winter 2026 Dior presentation. She said she could be “otherwise engaged on the first Monday in May” and pointed to Antarctica as the likely filming location for ‘Varanasi.’




Even with that conflict, Chopra is clearly watching the Met Gala conversation closely. The 2026 dress code, “Fashion Is Art,” left her both amused and inspired.

“I mean… What?” she said. “You can do anything with that! And, honestly, being a spectator can be just as fun.”

That line summed up her approach. She did not rule out attending. But she also did not pretend the logistics look easy.

Priyanka Chopra's Dior greenhouse show offers clues to her style mood

While the Met Gala remains a question mark, Chopra has already seen a version of fashion meeting art in Paris. She attended Dior’s autumn and winter 2026 show, staged inside a greenhouse in the Jardin des Tuileries, and praised Anderson’s creative perspective.

“There’s no one out there who does what he does,” she said. “It’s artful, it’s witty, it’s playful, it’s clever, it’s cheeky. Jonathan’s world is entirely his own.”

Chopra wore an outfit from Anderson’s recent menswear collection, and she joked that the greenhouse conditions made her outfit choice feel questionable.

“No one expected how hot it would be in there,” she said, adding, “The choice of sweater might have been wrong.”

The actor also reflected on how her fashion thinking has shifted over time. She said she once dressed for approval, but now she focuses on how she wants to feel.

“When I was a kid, it had a lot more to do with other people’s validation,” she said. “Whereas the question now is, ‘What do I want to feel like today?’, ‘Who do I want to be?’”

More about Priyanka Chopra Jonas' work front

‘Varanasi’ is an upcoming Indian action-adventure film that features Priyanka Chopra Jonas in a lead role, alongside Mahesh Babu and Prithviraj Sukumaran. Directed by S. S. Rajamouli, the film follows Rudhra as an asteroid threat puts the ancient city of Varanasi at the center of a global crisis. The story blends mythology with science fiction and unfolds across multiple timelines and international locations. The film is expected to release in 2027 and is planned for IMAX presentation.

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