Ashneer Grover throws fresh shade at Salman Khan: 'Reality shows shouldn’t be about weekend superstars'

Tension between Ashneer Grover and Salman Khan resurfaces after former's comments about reality shows prioritising the host over contestants.

The long-simmering tension between entrepreneur Ashneer Grover and actor Salman Khan has flared up again. This time, with a pointed comment made by Ashneer during a recent interview while promoting his new reality show Rise and Fall.

Ashneer Grover called for a return to contestant focus, rather than on the superstar host of reality shows.

Ashneer takes an indirect dig at Salman

While Ashneer never mentioned Salman Khan or Bigg Boss 19 by name, his words left little to the imagination. In an interview with News 18, Ashneer said, “Reality shows have to be about contestants. Fortunately or unfortunately, in India, we’ve had a very big show with a very big superstar. It’s become more about him than the contestants. Who’s putting in the hours? Bhai, aap to ek weekend mein aa rahe ho. (You are coming on the weekends). The ones grinding 24/7 are the contestants,” Ashneer said.

He further emphasised that the “balance of power” needs to return to the participants. "The balance of power has to go back to contestants and the content that comes out of contestants rather than it being hijacked by someone, you know, who comes over the weekend.”

Ashneer and Salman's past controversy

This isn’t the first time Ashneer has publicly criticised Salman Khan. Their rocky history dates back to a sponsored ad shoot where Ashneer alleged that Salman refused to click a photo with him even after a three-hour meeting.

“Salman Khan se mila hoon. Usko humne sponsor rakha tha, toh uske shoot ke liye mila tha. Shoot se pehle mila tha usko brief karne ke liye ki company kya hai. Toh teen ghante baitha tha uske saath, uske manager ne bol diya ki photo nahi khichwani hai, sir thoda bura maan jaate hain. (I met Salman Khan. We had made him a sponsor, so I met him for a shoot. I sat with him for three hours to brief him about the company. Then his manager said that Salman wouldn’t take a photo because he might take offence)," Ashneer had said earlier in an interview.

Ashneer didn’t take it lightly. “Maine kaha, saale, nahi khichwaunga photo, bhaad mein ja tu. Matlab aisi kaunsi heropanti ho gayi? (I said, man, I won’t get the photo clicked either—go to hell. What kind of superstar attitude is this anyway?)," he said.

In 2024, when Ashneer appeared on Bigg Boss 18 as a guest, Salman didn’t let the matter slide. In a fiery exchange, the actor addressed Ashneer’s earlier remarks. “The meeting was not held with you but with your team. Maybe you were also present there. We have not had any discussions. I saw what you said. You presented that we had fooled you. This is wrong. Those numbers were wrong.”