Did Mindy Kaling copy Aishwarya Rai's 2022 Cannes Look for Met Gala 2024?

Mindy Kaling's gown at the Met Gala featured sculptural pieces that arched over her head, creating an eye-catching silhouette. The gown was adorned with loops and swirls, adding intricate details to the overall design.

At the Met Gala 2024, Mindy Kaling turned heads with her striking gown, but it sparked a debate among netizens who noticed a striking resemblance to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's outfit at Cannes 2022. Both outfits were designed by Gaurav Gupta, raising questions about the originality of Kaling's dress.

Mindy Kaling's gown at the Met Gala featured sculptural pieces that arched over her head, creating an eye-catching silhouette. The gown was adorned with loops and swirls, adding intricate details to the overall design. It also featured a sweetheart neckline and was enhanced with subtle silver accents and sparkles, giving it a glamorous touch. However, this design seemed very similar to Aishwarya Rai's look from the previous year.

Aishwarya Rai, a renowned actress, wore a Gaurav Gupta gown at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival that also included a long sculptural piece over her head and a veil, much like Kaling’s Met Gala outfit. This similarity did not go unnoticed by the public, who took to social media to express their opinions.

Social media users had mixed reactions to Mindy Kaling's gown. One user commented, "Kaling looks beautiful but the look could be a bit different than what Aishwarya wore at Cannes.” Another was more critical, stating, “The glam is not glamming the hair is not it, the color is def not it and the fit looks blah on Mindy……. It's like Gaurav Gupta created a knockoff of his own look??????" A third remarked on Kaling's demeanour, noting, “guts toh hai, but you could see she couldn’t stop smiling because of the dress.”

This isn't the first time Mindy Kaling has attended the Met Gala; her first appearance was back in 2013. Reflecting on her initial experience, Kaling shared during an episode of Meghan Markle’s podcast 'Archetypes' how she felt out of place. "I did feel like fraudulent the first year I went. I didn’t know you were supposed to stay uptown near the Met. You’re supposed to get in a standing van so your dress didn’t wrinkle. I was just in a cab, in my dress, sitting in the backseat of a car, you know, driving for 45 minutes,” she recounted.

The discussion around Mindy Kaling's Met Gala outfit highlights the fine line between inspiration and imitation in fashion. While designers often revisit themes or styles, the close resemblance between Kaling's and Rai's dresses has fuelled a debate about the uniqueness and originality of high-fashion pieces. This incident also underscores the intense scrutiny and high expectations celebrities face when choosing their outfits for major events.