It was a night Bollywood fans will never forget, Ranbir Kapoor’s birthday celebration in 2018. What began as an intimate gathering quickly transformed into one of the most star-studded evenings in recent memory. The now-iconic photograph, shared by Karan Johar, featured Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, and Ranbir Kapoor himself. Seated casually on a couch, the group looked relaxed and genuine, unaware that the candid moment would soon become Bollywood’s answer to Ellen DeGeneres’ Oscar selfie.
Karan Johar opens up on the viral moment
Years later, the story behind that picture finally came to light. During an episode of Serving It Up With Sania, Karan Johar reflected on the emotions surrounding that evening. “It was Ranbir’s birthday, right before the pandemic. There was a lot of emotion because of Rishi Kapoor’s health at the time,” Karan shared. “But everyone we called came. It was spontaneous, heartfelt, and full of warmth. Then we took that picture — and it went fully viral.”
A gathering for the ages
Karan described the photo as “a mega cast” moment — one that’s unlikely to happen again. “Just look at that lineup,” he said, admiring the rare unity among Bollywood’s biggest stars. When he posted the picture on Instagram with the caption ‘The biggest BLOCKBUSTER ever!!!!!’, it wasn’t an exaggeration. The post garnered nearly 875K likes and continues to resurface as a symbol of camaraderie in Bollywood’s golden circle.
Where the stars stand today
Seven years later, each star from that legendary photo continues to dominate the industry. Ranbir Kapoor is gearing up for ‘Ramayan: Part 1’ and ‘Love & War’, while Alia Bhatt readies for Alpha. Deepika Padukone has begun shooting for her Atlee-directed film alongside Allu Arjun, Ranveer Singh’s ‘Dhurandhar’ releases next month, Aamir Khan is basking in the success of Sitaare Zameen Par, and Shah Rukh Khan is preparing for King.
