Gaurav Khanna wins Bigg Boss 19 Finale: When Salman Khan defended him and called Farhana ‘ignorant’

Gaurav Khanna has won Bigg Boss 19 Finale. The actor who has been praised for his calm demeanor was also called the a “superstar” by none other than Salman Khan. Gaurav Khanna was praised after he was criticised by Farhana Bhatt, the runner up of Bigg Boss 19, during one of the Bigg Boss episodes, questioning his popularity.

Speaking about Gaurav Khanna, Salman Khan had even said that his mother, Salma Khan, has watched his shows on TV. While the actor was praised for his popularity, Salman Khan had also once cautioned him for being inactive.

When Salman Khan defended Gaurav Khanna

In an earlier episode of the show, Farhana said, “Who are you? TV ke superstar? Neither Tanya (Mittal) nor I have ever seen you in any show”. She also added that she will never work on television.

During Saturday’s ‘Weekend Ka Vaar’ episode, Salman stepped in to defend Gaurav, saying he has personally watched his shows. “Farhana, if you haven’t watched Gaurav’s shows, then you’re ignorant, he’s very popular on television. I’ve seen his shows, and even my mother has watched them. In which world do you live?” he said. Also Read | Bigg Boss 19 Finale: Early voting trends come true! Gaurav Khanna wins Season 19, takes home ₹50 lakh prize money

“And if he says he’s a superstar and you deny it, then let me tell you, he is a superstar. His fans made him one, he has never claimed it himself,” Salman added.

Salman Khan also went on to praise Gaurav Khanna for his patience and how gracefully he handled Farhana's comments.

“For the past 20 years, this man has been working tirelessly every single day, 18 hours a day, and yet he responded to you in a dignified way even though you didn’t stop provoking him. He never got personal with you. I swear to God, even if I were in the house, I wouldn’t have handled it as gracefully as Gaurav did. I wouldn’t have let anyone speak to me like that about my career or family,” he said.

‘Being inactive’

But Gaurav Khanna has also been called out for being inactive, cautioning him about the tag of "overrated."

“Gaurav, aap front foot pe khelne se ghabra rahe hai. Poore hafte karibab 20 minute nazar aaye hai aap. Palak jhapke aap chale gaye. (Gaurav, you appear afraid to play in the front. Last week, you were visible for only 20 minutes. You disappeared in the blink of an eye),” Salman told the 'Anupamaa' actor.

He then turned to the other contestants, asking them to weigh in on Gaurav Khanna’s role in the captaincy task. Mridul Tiwari remarked that Gaurav was “only there to clap”, while Baseer Ali said he “goes to people, says a few things, and then steps back.”

"Gaurav, every actor should be scared of this one word...overrated hai yaar," Salman Khan warned.

Gaurav has had an illustrious career with shows like "Yeh Pyar Na Hoga Kam" alongside Yami Gautam and more recently the hit show "Anupamaa", where he essayed the role of Anuj Kapadia.