New Delhi: Recently, during an episode of Bigg Boss 18, Salman Khan actually confronted BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover about his past remarks and what Khan called the “doglapan” or double standards – displayed by the entrepreneur. The whole scene has been seen in a promotional clip ahead of the episode where Salman first welcomed Grover but shifted rapidly to address the entrepreneur’s controversial statements regarding him.
Salman Khan during the exchange had apparently expressed his discomfort with Grover’s previous remarks said, “Mere baare me kehte huye suna hai that you have signed me. Sab figures bhi aapne galat bataye. Toh phir yeh dogalapan kya hai? “which is basically, “I heard you talking about signing me and you mentioned all the wrong figures.
So what is this double standard (Doglapan)?
In response, Grover tried to whitewash the criticism by showering praise on Khan’s decision to become the brand ambassador of BharatPe, calling it “one of the smartest moves” he ever made.
Still, Salman did not back down and went on to highlight another inconsistency in Grover’s attitude. He said, “Yeh jo attitude ab hai, tab wahan nahi dikha tha,” which translates to mean that the attitude Grover expressed during this conversation was not visible during their previous meetings. Grover tried to defend himself with a counter-argument that his statements in a podcast must have been misunderstood.
This is yet another confrontation that emanates from a news report wherein Grover narrates an incident of an earlier interview where he claims to have been informed by Salman’s manager that the actor would not take any picture with him. Grover says, “Salman Khan se mila hoon. uske manager ne bol diya ki photo nahi khichwani hai.” He expresses his frustration at having spent considerable time with Khan just to be denied a photograph.
The stir in the media has triggered reactions on social media. Many netizens mocked Grover by his attitude change while answering questions directly asked of him by Salman. Salman fans appreciated Salman for bringing incidents and issues under the discussion table and refusing those individuals who bad-mouth him in front of others but hide behind their faces. Salman Khan’s dealing with this episode reflects his no-nonsense attitude towards the integrity of his public persona, and Ashneer Grover’s attempt at bringing himself out of the debacle is an example of how complex celebrity interactions and public perceptions can get in the media landscape today. The television program assured to be a scintillating watch by carrying out personal confrontations to much bigger issues dealing with authenticity and accountability in the entertainment industry.
