I'm in awe of you: Salman tells Katrina

Salman Khan continues to be in "awe" of Katrina Kaif -- he has admitted on national television.

From Katrina's dance skills, beauty to her acting prowess - Salman praised it all on the stage of "Bigg Boss Nau" finale. The superstar appreciated her journey towards success in showbiz, calling her a "hard worker" and one of those he counts among the "strongest women" he has ever known.

When Salman was heaping praise on Katrina's entry to the tunes of the romantic track "Pashmina", her "Fitoor" co-star Aditya Roy Kapoor, who accompanied her to the set of the show, said: "I was also a part of the performance."

To that, the 50-year-old actor quipped: "She was good."

Salman and Katrina were earlier linked together for long, and then made headlines for their break-up. However, there seemed to be no animosity between them during the show even as the "Dabangg" star pulled her leg and passed witty remarks.

Katrina and Aditya were given the responsibility to get one of the contestants out of the "Bigg Boss" house. When Katrina told the "Bigg Boss Nau" finalists that if she were in their place, she would have been nervous and broken down in tears, Salman stopped her from underestimating herself.

He said: "Don't lie. You are one of the strongest women I have ever known. You were just a 16-year-old when you came in the industry and reached so far. It is all your hard work, sheer hard work. If god asks me to choose between talent and hard work, I will pick the latter."

Responding to this, Katrina quipped: "I also have talent, maybe a little".

To that, Salman said: "When one keeps working hard, the talent keeps increasing. The whole country is in awe of you, including me! So, obviously you are talented."

Katrina's new film "Fitoor", which means passion or obsession, is the story of a budding artiste Noor (Aditya) who falls in love with Firdaus (Katrina). The Abhishek Kapoor directorial also stars Tabu, who is seen as Katrina's mother in the film.

Based on Charles Dickens's novel "Great Expectations", "Fitoor" is slated to release on February 12. Kapoor and Tabu also joined the stars on the finale episode of Colors' reality show, where Prince Narula emerged the winner.