“It’s not just simple entertainment. I’m a memory from home, though I’m not a memory,” Khan tells TIME. “The diaspora made me the star I am.”

Shah Rukh Khan’s first appearance at the Met Gala is a natural extension of his enduring onscreen charm. With this year’s dress code, Tailored for You, in mind, Khan’s ensemble by Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee subtly connected the shared histories of Black and Indian dandyism—two traditions that reimagined tailoring.

The global superstar is going “a little bit rapper” for his first gala appearance. He may never come back, but he’s here now.