Karan Johar announces week-long digital detox; quips, “May the universe give me the strength”

Just days after India’s official Oscar entry, Homebound, failed to secure a final nomination at the 98th Academy Awards, filmmaker Karan Johar has announced a temporary departure from social media. Taking to Instagram on Tuesday, January 27, the producer revealed he is embarking on a one-week "digital detox" to distance himself from the noise of the online world.

In a candid post shared with his followers, Johar wrote: “Digital Detox for a week! No doom scrolling! No DMs! No posts! May the universe give me the strength to stay away!!!!”

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The announcement comes at a busy time for the Dharma Productions head. While the filmmaker had recently been celebrating the massive box-office success of Bollywood’s latest hits, Dhurandhar and Border 2, the past week also brought the disappointment of the Oscar nominations.

Homebound, a social drama directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and backed by Johar, had been a strong contender, even making the top-15 shortlist in December. However, when the final five nominees for Best International Feature Film were announced on January 22, the film was notably absent.

Despite the snub, Johar had publicly stood by his director, writing on social media last week, "Proud!!! Love you Neeraj Ghaywan for allowing us to bask in your light!" He further called the film one of the "finest and most important films India has ever made."

While Johar did not explicitly link his break to the Oscar results, his post mentioned a desire to avoid "doom scrolling"—a term used for the act of continuously consuming news online.

Also Read: Karan Johar cheers Gujarati Cinema’s big moment, applauds Laalo director Ankit Sakhiya after Rs.100-Crore success