Former Shark Tank India judge and BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover found himself in the crosshairs of social media trolls following his appearance on Bigg Boss 18 on Sunday, with videos of his interaction with host Salman Khan going viral on X.
During the episode, Salman reminded Grover of the negative remarks he had previously made about the actor on a podcast, leading to a tense moment between the two.
Trolled for seemingly changing his body language while talking to Salman on the show, Grover took to his X handle on Monday to defend his past statements about the actor. Posting a picture with the star, Grover wrote, “I hope you enjoyed the Bigg Boss weekend ka vaar! I had good fun. And I am sure the particular episode got great TRP / viewership. BTW all of statements below are TRUE: Salman is a great host & actor, Salman knows what works on Bigg Boss, I’ve always praised Salman for his sense of self and business - not a single thing demeaning said for him ever.”
Grover went on to elaborate on his previous interactions with Salman, providing context to his past comments. “My deal numbers are always correct (bank / auditor verified). Met Salman in an exclusive meeting on the brand collab for 3 hours in May 2019 in JW Marriott Juhu - along with the director of ad (it’s ok if he doesn’t remember me - I was not a public figure then - he meets tons of people),” Grover wrote.
“The invite for coming as guest on Bigg Boss was not ‘unnamed’ - just like the cheque for the same ;) And finally I’ve a pic with him - which I didn’t earlier ;) Thanks @BeingSalmanKhan. Keep rocking,” he signed off.
For context, when Grover was leading BharatPe in 2019, he had signed Salman Khan as the company’s brand ambassador. On the Vagerah Vagerah podcast in 2023, Grover revealed that he had convinced the actor to reduce his endorsement fees from Rs 7.5 crore to Rs 4.5 crore. He also shared that Salman’s team had initially denied him a photo with the actor, which contributed to some of the negative sentiments Grover had expressed about Salman in the past.
In the Bigg Boss 18 episode, when Grover apologised to Salman for his earlier remarks, the actor responded with a measured reaction. “I don't feel bad about all these. It's just that when you give a wrong impression to someone about a person, that's not right. Later it will bite you itself,” Salman said.
Grover’s appearance on Bigg Boss 18 and the subsequent exchange with Salman Khan have sparked a buzz online, with users pointing out how Grover’s body language changed from fiery on the podcast to docile on the show.
