A heated exchange between Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and fintech entrepreneur Ashneer Grover took centre stage on the latest episode of Bigg Boss 18 Weekend Ka Vaar. The episode saw Salman Khan accusing the BharatPe co-founder of exhibiting “doglapan” – a term popularised by Ashneer Grover himself, meaning ‘double standards’.
Salman Khan took aim at Grover for his past comments, particularly surrounding their business dealings. “Main aapko mere baare mein kehte hue suna hain kuch. Aapne kaha ke humne toh isko itne me sign karliya utne me sign karliya, sab figures bhi aapne galat de diya toh fir ye doglapan kya? (I've heard you speak about me. You said I was this paid much and that much.. but the figures you mentioned were all inaccurate. What is this doglapan?)” Salman Khan questioned.
In typical Ashneer Grover style, the entrepreneur did not take the remarks lying down. After the episode aired, Grover took to LinkedIn to set the record straight. He posted a detailed clarification, defending his stance while offering praise for Khan.
“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 the 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 wrote.
He continued, elaborating on his professional history with Khan: “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). 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 (with no managers around). Thanks Salman Khan. Keep rocking!”
The term “doglapan” gained widespread popularity after Ashneer Grover used it during his time on Shark Tank India in 2021. The phrase quickly became a staple in his lexicon, symbolising hypocrisy or double standards.
Little did Grover know, it would come back to haunt him in a public showdown with Salman Khan at Bigg Boss on national television.
During the Bigg Boss episode, Salman Khan threw another jab at the fintech entrepreneur, claiming that his public image did not match the attitude he displayed during their earlier interactions.
Ashneer Grover attempted to clarify, “Sir, maybe in the podcast, it did not come across correct,” but Salman Khan was having none of it. “Haan, lekin jis hisab se aab aap baat kar rahe hain woh jo maine apka video dekha hain yeh aapka attitude woh wahan par nahin tha.” (Yes, but the way you're talking now, in the videos I saw, your attitude was not the same).,” he retorted, with a direct hit at Grover’s changed demeanor.
The conversation took an interesting turn when Salman Khan revealed that he did not even know Ashneer Grover’s name before appearing on Bigg Boss. "I just got to know that you are coming here. I did not know your name also. Since I had seen your video, I recognised your face. I think you should be careful about how you present yourself," Ashneer Khan stated, throwing Grover off guard.
This revelation was particularly striking, given Ashneer Grover’s previous comments regarding Salman Khan’s “heropanti”. In the past, Grover had taken a shot at the actor’s bravado, recounting a moment where Salman Khan’s manager allegedly instructed him not to take a picture with the actor due to Khan’s discomfort. This time, however, Grover was ‘finally’ able to get a picture with Salman Khan.
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