'Clickbait something else': Karan Johar addresses Instagram unfollowing spree
What's the story
Filmmaker Karan Johar recently sparked a social media frenzy after fans noticed he had unfollowed several close friends and industry colleagues on Instagram. The list includes Shah Rukh Khan, Ananya Panday, Kartik Aaryan, and longtime friend-designer Manish Malhotra. In response to the speculation surrounding this sudden move, Johar has now clarified that it was part of a "digital detox."
Social media scrutiny
Priyanka Chopra notably remained on his following list
Johar's decision to unfollow several celebrities sparked widespread speculation online, with people trying to gauge what led to the move. Indian cinema fans noted that Priyanka Chopra Jonas remained on his following list. But other than that, KJo seemed to be only following international stars. Friends like Kareena Kapoor Khan and Malaika Arora, as well as his proteges Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra, are no longer part of his following list. Currently, Johar follows just 78 people on Instagram.
Clarification
'This can't be national news for gods sake'
Johar took to Instagram Stories on Thursday to address the speculation and explained his sudden unfollowing spree. He wrote, "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 gods sake ...please clickbait something else! This is irrelevant (sic)," added the filmmaker.
Career highlights
In other news, check out Johar's recent work
Earlier this year, Johar made a striking debut at the Met Gala 2026 in a lavish creation by Malhotra called "Framed in Eternity." The ensemble paid homage to Raja Ravi Varma's works. Recently, he produced Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri, and Chand Mera Dil under his Dharma Productions banner. The filmmaker had earlier quit X/Twitter, but remains active on Instagram.