Snehashish roy
In a candid and unexpected turn, digital creator Apoorva Mukhija has signalled that her prolific run may be nearing its end. Speaking to The Indian Express, she warned of stepping back from the content-creation cycle altogether, citing a deep disillusionment with how the business side of social media has ballooned into something unrecognizable. “We all started doing this for fun,” she said, “and now people call it an industry… I never took it that seriously.”
Mukhija, who burst onto the scene with irreverent humour and razor-sharp observational videos, traced her discontent back to the moment content creation stopped being spontaneous. “It was just about talking to a camera,” she told the outlet. “How did it become so serious?” She lamented the shift—from existing as a creator to being someone who constantly “had to fight to stay relevant, attend events, get papped and maintain networks.”
She went further still: “I want to retire from content creation. I have been doing it for too long, so I want to do something else. I am working on something else. If it pans out, great. If it doesn’t — then I’ll always be doing content.” The declaration reverberated across creator circles, where burnout and algorithm-fatigue have become increasingly recognised realities.
Mukhija’s views carry added weight given her recent TV crossover as a contestant on The Traitors India — a reality show hosted by Karan Johar. Her presence on mainstream television hinted at a natural evolution from internet star to traditional celebrity. Yet now, she appears to have hit a fork in the road.
The experience on the show, which debuted earlier this year, may have sharpened her lens: she observed how the “clicks-first” mentality dominates today’s online media ecosystem. According to her, news outlets no longer cover creators for merit—they chase headlines. She described the process as being part of a “circus”. “News outlets chase me for clicks rather than merit,” she said.
Her introspective comments are especially resonant in an industry where content monetisation has exploded. Sponsorships, brand deals, follower counts, engagement metrics — the business mechanics can often overshadow the art. Mukhija’s remarks revisit a question that many creators wrestle with: when did the passion stop being about passion?
Mukhija’s career itself stands as a testament to the possibilities of the creator economy. She built a substantial following through witty, unfiltered takes on everyday life, eventually expanding into television. Her decision to step back would mark a rare moment of turning away from the spotlight—against the grain of a culture that idolises visibility.
In announcing a desire to “work on something else,” Mukhija left the door open rather than slamming it shut. “If it pans out, great. If not… I’ll always be doing content,” she said. The sentiment reveals both weariness and hope: tired of the treadmill, yet not entirely done with creation.
For followers and peers alike, this moment highlights something more than one creator’s quarter-life crisis: it shines a light on an entire system under strain. Creators are increasingly speaking of mental fatigue, #burnout, algorithm anxiety — and Mukhija’s public acknowledgement adds to that broader narrative.
She didn’t chart a dramatic exit or reveal a scandal. Instead, she quietly questioned the machinery. Her words pose a mirror: content creation may look like freedom, but what if it is just another chain? What if the pressures of productivity, relevance and monetisation drown out the original joy?
In the end, Mukhija’s volley against “this circus” that the creator space has become has two sides: a critique of the system, and a moment of personal reckoning. Whether she steps back permanently, pivots to another path or returns renewed remains to be seen. But right now, she’s signalling something rare in the world of influencers: the option to exit.
