Karan Johar calls Instagram unfollow spree a digital detox

Filmmaker Karan Johar has publicly dismissed widespread online speculation about his recent decision to unfollow numerous Bollywood celebrities on Instagram, describing the move as a personal "digital detox." The director addressed the chatter directly on his Instagram Story on Thursday night, urging people not to treat the matter as significant news.

Johar’s Instagram activity drew intense scrutiny after fans noticed he had unfollowed a long list of prominent industry figures. Among those reportedly no longer followed by Johar are actors Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ananya Panday, Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra, Malaika Arora, and designer Manish Malhotra. Observers also noted he unfollowed actor Kartik Aaryan, who is set to star in Johar's upcoming production "Naagzilla."

In his statement, Johar wrote that he was unfollowing everyone to reduce the time and energy he spends on the platform. He currently follows only 78 accounts on Instagram, where he has 17.5 million followers. A point of particular interest for many fans is that Priyanka Chopra Jonas remains one of the few Bollywood actors still on his following list.

The unfollowing spree triggered a wave...