Snehashish roy
Filmmaker Karan Johar has sparked massive speculation online after social media users noticed that he had unfollowed several Bollywood celebrities on Instagram, including some of his closest friends and long-time collaborators. The development quickly became one of the biggest talking points in entertainment circles, especially because stars like Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Varun Dhawan and Manish Malhotra reportedly disappeared from Johar’s following list.
What caught fans’ attention even more was that actor Priyanka Chopra continued to remain on Karan Johar’s following list despite the filmmaker unfollowing a large section of the industry.
As screenshots of Karan’s Instagram account began circulating across X, Instagram and Reddit, speculation exploded online. Fans started questioning whether the move hinted at personal fallouts, professional disagreements or changing relationships within Bollywood’s inner circle.
Several entertainment pages pointed out that many of the celebrities Karan unfollowed were not just industry colleagues but people with whom he has shared decades-long friendships and professional associations.
Shah Rukh Khan has been one of Karan Johar’s closest collaborators since films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and My Name Is Khan. Similarly, Alia Bhatt is often considered Karan’s protégé after he launched her Bollywood career through Student of the Year in 2012.
The filmmaker had also reportedly unfollowed actors Varun Dhawan, Sidharth Malhotra, Kartik Aaryan, Ananya Panday, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Malaika Arora and designer Manish Malhotra.
As theories continued spreading online, Karan Johar eventually broke his silence through Instagram Stories and dismissed the growing rumours.
Clarifying the reason behind his Instagram activity, Karan wrote, “It’s a DIGITAL DETOX!!!! Am unfollowing everyone to reduce my time and energy spent on the gram!!!”
The filmmaker also appeared amused by the attention the issue received and added, “This can’t be national news for God’s sake… please clickbait something else! This is irrelevant!”
His response quickly went viral online and generated a fresh wave of reactions. While some fans accepted the explanation, others continued speculating about why Priyanka Chopra remained among the very few Bollywood celebrities still being followed by Karan.
Many users jokingly referred to Priyanka as the “last survivor” of Karan Johar’s Instagram purge. Others revisited the filmmaker’s complicated public history with Priyanka Chopra, which has often been discussed in Bollywood gossip circles over the years.
Social media platforms were soon flooded with memes about Karan’s digital detox. One user joked that Bollywood friendships were now more fragile than Instagram follow lists, while another compared the unfollow spree to a reality show elimination round.
Several users pointed out that Karan Johar’s following list had reportedly dropped significantly despite him having over 17 million followers on Instagram.
According to reports, only a small number of Bollywood names remained on the filmmaker’s following list after the mass unfollowing. Apart from Priyanka Chopra, business associates such as Dharma Productions CEO Apoorva Mehta reportedly continued to remain among the accounts Karan followed.
Some reports suggested the move could also be linked to a broader social media strategy rather than personal disputes. Sources quoted by entertainment portals claimed the unfollowing activity was planned and had “nothing to do with any particular star, page or person.”
However, Karan himself did not elaborate further beyond describing the decision as part of a digital detox.
The episode comes at a time when Karan Johar has remained highly active in public discussions around Bollywood, celebrity culture and changing audience behaviour. Recently, he made headlines after stating that stars like Kareena Kapoor and Alia Bhatt are no longer viewed as the “gold standard” of fashion influence because audiences now prefer individuality over celebrity imitation.
Professionally, the filmmaker has been busy with multiple projects under Dharma Productions. His recent release Chand Mera Dil, starring Ananya Panday and Lakshya, received mixed reactions at the box office.
He is also backing the upcoming fantasy entertainer Naagzilla starring Kartik Aaryan.
Meanwhile, fans continue monitoring Karan Johar’s Instagram activity closely to see whether any of the unfollowed celebrities eventually return to his following list.
For now, the filmmaker insists there is no hidden drama behind the move. But in an industry where social media actions often fuel endless speculation, Karan Johar’s digital detox has already become one of Bollywood’s most discussed online stories this week.