Salman Khan Takes On Trolls: Varun Dhawan, Neha Dhupia Rally Behind His Bigg Boss 20 Stand
Mumbai: Salman Khan has turned his latest Bigg Boss 20 Weekend Ka Vaar appearance into a blunt message against online trolling, body shaming and intrusive paparazzi culture, drawing support from several Bollywood personalities including Varun Dhawan, Neha Dhupia and filmmaker Kunal Kohli.
The actor’s comments came amid renewed online criticism of Katrina Kaif’s appearance following her recent public appearance after becoming a mother. Although Salman did not name Katrina while discussing her specifically, he questioned why women should be mocked for gaining weight after pregnancy and stressed that returning to work and getting fit can happen in its own time.
Salman’s criticism, however, went beyond Katrina. He spoke about the wider culture of judging celebrities over their weight, age, looks and personal lives. He also defended his brother Sohail Khan and Varun Dhawan, drawing a distinction between genuine concern about someone’s health and deliberately making fun of their appearance.
The actor then made the point dramatically on the Bigg Boss stage. After addressing comments about his own changing appearance and age, Salman removed his hat and shirt and wiped off his makeup, challenging people who regularly scrutinise his looks. The moment quickly became one of the most discussed portions of the episode.
Varun Dhawan appeared to acknowledge the gesture by sharing a video of his father, filmmaker David Dhawan, watching the episode. Kunal Kohli also praised Salman for speaking about social media behaviour, trolling and paparazzi practices. Neha Dhupia’s reaction was much shorter but quickly caught attention: “Tiger zinda hai.” Actor Monalisa also expressed her appreciation for Salman speaking up.
Salman also raised concerns about photographs taken from uncomfortable angles, particularly involving women at public events. He referred to incidents involving Saiee Manjrekar, Neha Dhupia and his niece while questioning the practice of publishing such images for attention.
The controversy has since moved beyond the television episode. Reports say a Pakistani radio jockey who had made a body shaming remark about Katrina later apologised to her, adding another development to the debate surrounding celebrity appearance and online commentary.
Salman’s remarks have therefore sparked a broader conversation in Bollywood about where criticism ends and humiliation begins and about the responsibility of social media users, paparazzi and audiences when commenting on public figures.
ALSO READ: Salman Khan’s ‘Pookie’ Moment Goes Viral After He Takes On Katrina Kaif’s Body Shamers