Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar has clarified the reason behind unfollowing several high-profile celebrities on Instagram, including Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt, Kajol and others, after the move sparked widespread speculation online.
Johar’s sudden reduction of his following list triggered rumours of possible rifts and industry tensions, with fans questioning whether the gesture signalled personal or professional fallout within his close circle, according to Gulf News.
The filmmaker, however, took to Instagram Stories on Thursday night to dismiss the speculation, insisting that the move was part of a “digital detox”.
“It’s a DIGITAL DETOX!!!! Am unfollowing everyone to reduce my time and energy spent on the gram!!! This can’t be national news for God’s sake… please clickbait something else! This is irrelevant!” he wrote, appearing both amused and frustrated by the reaction.
Social media users had earlier noticed that Johar’s following list had been drastically reduced to just 78 accounts, despite his millions of followers. Among those unfollowed were several major Bollywood names, including Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kajol, Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra, Malaika Arora, Ananya Panday and Kartik Aaryan.
Interestingly, Johar continues to follow only a handful of figures outside the film industry, including Dharma Productions CEO Apoorva Mehta, business associate Adar Poonawalla and actress Priyanka Chopra.
Following the clarification, fans concluded that the move was not related to any feud, but rather Johar’s attempt to cut down on social media usage.
The filmmaker, who recently turned 54, had earlier celebrated his birthday with a star-studded gathering attended by several Bollywood personalities, including Kareena Kapoor Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Sidharth Malhotra, Kiara Advani and designer Manish Malhotra.
