Salman Khan hits out at online trolls on Bigg Boss 20
Bigg Boss 20 host Salman Khan criticised online trolls for body-shaming and age-shaming comments in the show's latest episode, including those targeting women over post-pregnancy weight. "Pregnant thi toh weight gain kar liya, wapas movies mein aayegi toh fit ho jayegi," he said, without naming anyone. Saying he is 60 and unaffected by age-related trolling, he removed his hat, t-shirt and makeup on camera. Netizens said he appeared to be defending Katrina Kaif.
Source
Times of India — Top · read the original report ↗
Desk check · some claims need care
What the desk checked (5)
- Salman Khan criticised body-shaming, age-shaming and trolling of women over post-pregnancy weight on Bigg Boss 20 — Attributed to the episode with direct quotes reproduced in the source; no independent verification possible.
- He removed his hat, t-shirt and mic and wiped off his makeup on camera, challenging trolls — Described in the source as occurring during the episode; no other source cited.
- Salman said he is 60 years old and faces age-related trolling — Direct quote in the source; figure appears as stated by him.
- He was defending Katrina Kaif, trolled over postpartum weight after the Ambanis' Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations — Source states he named no one; the link is an inference drawn by the publication and quoted social media users.
- He criticised paparazzi for inappropriate shots and cited Sai Manjrekar and his niece — Direct quote attributed to Salman Khan in the source.
Analysts’ view opinion
This is a reality-TV moment engineered for maximum virality, and it worked — a 60-year-old superstar stripping off his t-shirt, hat and makeup on camera is exactly the kind of clip that travels far beyond the show's regular viewership. Strategically, it lets Salman Khan reframe the ageing conversation that shadows his recent film career on his own terms, while positioning himself as a defender of women targeted over postpartum weight and of paparazzi-shamed actresses. The fact that netizens read it as an unnamed show of support for Katrina Kaif adds a second layer of story value, though the story records that as audience interpretation, not confirmation.
- For Bigg Boss, the outburst is a ratings and reach asset — host-driven confrontation clips are the format's cheapest and most reliable engagement engine.
- By naming his own age himself and joking that he cannot be 'Maine Pyar Kiya all the time', Salman pre-empts a critique that has followed his recent screen image, converting a vulnerability into a talking point.
- His remarks on postpartum weight and paparazzi 'hip shots' place him on the side of a wider industry grievance about how female stars are photographed and judged, which is likely to draw broad support across the film fraternity.
- The Katrina Kaif link rests entirely on netizen inference — the story is explicit that he named no one, which conveniently gives the moment emotional resonance without a formal statement.
- The physical display also functions as brand maintenance for an actor whose box-office identity has long been built on fitness and screen presence.
What to watch — Watch whether the clip's virality translates into a measurable viewership bump for Bigg Boss 20 and whether other industry figures publicly echo his criticism of paparazzi conduct.
The story does not establish that Salman was in fact referring to Katrina Kaif, nor does it offer any ratings data, response from the paparazzi or comment from those he spoke about.
Deep dive
Research brief · 8 facts · 3 dates · exam-readyThe brief
Context
On the latest episode of the reality show Bigg Boss 20, host Salman Khan publicly confronted online trolls who body-shame and age-shame people, including women criticised for post-pregnancy weight gain. He did not name anyone, but the remarks followed online trolling of actor Katrina Kaif over her postpartum weight after her appearance at the Ambanis' Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations. Salman, who said he is 60, removed his hat, t-shirt and makeup on camera and challenged trolls to mock him. He also attacked paparazzi practices of taking inappropriate shots of actresses.
Key facts
- Bigg Boss 20 host Salman Khan lost his temper on air at online trolls for body-shaming and age-shaming comments.
- Salman said: 'Pregnant thi toh weight gain kar liya, wapas movies mein aayegi toh fit ho jayegi. She wanted to spend time with her family.'
- On age-shaming he said, 'Of course, I'm 60 years old, yaar. You cannot be Maine Pyar Kiya all the time.'
- During the episode he removed his hat, t-shirt and mic, called makeup artist Raju and wiped off his makeup on camera.
- He defended his brother Sohail Khan and actor Varun Dhawan against online mockery, saying 'it's not done'.
- He criticised paparazzi for taking 'hip shots' and shots of actresses from behind, citing Sai Manjrekar, whom he said he launched, and his own niece.
- Katrina Kaif was recently trolled over postpartum weight gain after appearing at the Ambanis' Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
- Netizens on social media said Salman appeared to be indirectly defending Katrina Kaif, though he named no one.
Timeline
- Recently (date not stated in the source)Katrina Kaif appears at the Ambanis' Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations and is trolled online over postpartum weight gain.
- Latest Bigg Boss 20 episode (date not stated in the source)Salman Khan hits out at body-shaming, age-shaming and paparazzi conduct; removes hat, t-shirt and makeup on camera.
- After the episode airedNetizens post reactions saying Salman was indirectly taking a stand for Katrina Kaif.
Who has a stake
- Salman Khan — Host of Bigg Boss 20; says he is 60 and faces age-related trolling, and used the platform to push back publicly.
- Katrina Kaif — Actor and Salman's close friend, trolled over postpartum weight gain; widely seen as the unnamed subject of his defence.
- Online trolls and netizens — Targets of Salman's criticism; also the audience amplifying his remarks on social media.
- Paparazzi — Accused by Salman of taking hip shots and shots of actresses from behind with captions like 'Pehchaano ye kaun hai?'
- Sohail Khan, Varun Dhawan, Sai Manjrekar — Named as people who have faced online mockery or intrusive photography.
- Bigg Boss 20 (show and channel) — Reality platform where the intervention happened, drawing attention and viewership around the host's outburst.
Why it matters
A mass-reach reality show host using prime-time airtime against body-shaming, age-shaming and intrusive celebrity photography pushes a private-harm issue into public debate. It highlights how postpartum bodies and ageing are policed online, and how paparazzi conduct can shade into harassment of women. Because the remarks came without naming anyone, the episode also shows how celebrity commentary now travels and is interpreted through social media.
UPSC angle
Prelims pointers
- Bigg Boss 20: reality television show; hosted by Salman Khan, who said in the episode that he is 60 years old.
- Salman Khan referenced his films Maine Pyar Kiya, Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai in the source report.
- Katrina Kaif was trolled over postpartum weight after appearing at the Ambanis' Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.
- Actors named in the episode as trolling targets: Sohail Khan and Varun Dhawan; Sai Manjrekar cited over paparazzi shots.
- Body-shaming and age-shaming were the two forms of online abuse specifically called out by the host.
- Salman advised women facing intrusive paparazzi shots to confront the photographers directly.
Mains framing
The episode illustrates how online anonymity and engagement-driven media economics normalise the shaming of bodies, ageing and, specifically, women's postpartum appearance. Causes lie in a celebrity-image industry that equates female worth with 'fitness' and in a paparazzi culture that, as the host alleged, profits from hip shots, leg shots and photographs taken from behind with teasing captions; social media then multiplies the reach of such content and of the abuse it triggers. Implications include mental-health harm, the chilling of women's public appearances and the erosion of personal dignity, especially for young entrants to the industry. The host's response - refusing to react, invoking fan support, stripping off his hat, t-shirt and makeup on camera, and urging women to confront intruding photographers - is essentially individual and symbolic. A durable way forward, going beyond what the source states, would rest on industry-level norms for consent in celebrity photography, stricter platform action on abusive commentary, and public conversation that separates women's professional standing from body and age. The source does not detail any regulatory or policy response.
Key terms
- Bigg Boss 20
- Current season of the Indian reality television show, hosted by Salman Khan, where the remarks were made.
- Body-shaming
- Mocking or criticising a person's physical appearance or weight, the practice Salman Khan attacked on the show.
- Age-shaming
- Trolling someone for growing older; Salman cited comments that 'woh budha hogya hai' about himself.
- Postpartum weight gain
- Weight retained after pregnancy; the basis of trolling directed at Katrina Kaif per the report.
- Paparazzi 'hip shots'
- Photographs of actresses' hips, legs or backs that Salman said none of the heroines like.
- Trolling
- Abusive or mocking online commentary; Salman said he knows who trolls him but does not react.
Practice questions
- Discuss how celebrity culture and social media amplify body-shaming of women, with reference to recent public interventions by film personalities.
- Should there be industry-level norms or legal safeguards governing paparazzi photography of public figures in India? Examine.
- How effective are individual celebrity statements, as opposed to platform regulation, in curbing online abuse? Critically analyse.
Grounded only in the source report — figures and dates are the source's, not inferred.