'Balance of power being hijacked…' Ashneer Grover takes dig at Salman Khan

BharatPe's Ashneer Grover once again indirectly slammed Salman Khan for "hijacking" Bigg Boss. Grover debuted as the new reality show host, Rise And Fall, with many claims alike Khan's show

Salman Khan and Ashneer Grover are currently headlining rival reality shows—Bigg Boss 19 and Rise and Fall. According to a News18 report, Grover appeared to take a subtle dig at the Bollywood superstar as their shows clash for viewers’ attention. While Bigg Boss airs first on OTT before moving to television, Grover is steering his own reality venture with Rise and Fall.

 

Grover, who has previously criticized the actor, appeared to accuse him of "hijacking" Bigg Boss and failing to allow the participants to shine in an interview with the portal. The founder of BharatPe claims that the actor is in charge of controlling the “balance of power” in his Bigg Boss show. 

Ashneer Grover dig at Salman Khan

It was clear that Ashneer was referring to the Bollywood actor and his controversial reality show, even though he did not 'specifically' mention the actor Salman Khan, Bigg Boss 19 host. 

 

Ashneer stated to 'News18' Showsha, “Reality shows have to be about contestants. Fortunately, or unfortunately, in India we have had a very big show which has had a very big superstar. And therefore, it’s become more about him than the contestants, right? But the fact is, who is putting in the hours? Bhai aap to ek weekend mein aa rahe ho. Jo 24 ghante lage hain woh to contestant lage hue hain".

 

“The balance of power has to go back to contestants and the content that come out of contestants. Rather than it being hijacked by someone you know who comes over weekend," he added.

'Blast from the past' between Salman Khan and Ashneer Grover

The drama began when Ashneer described an event involving Salman Khan in a previous interview. He said that Salman's management informed Ashneer that the celebrity would not pose for a picture with him during a sponsored ad shoot, which is how he first met the actor.

 

Ashneer mentioned, “Salman Khan se mila hoon. Usko humne sponsor rakha tha, toh uske shoot ke liye mila tha. Shoot se pehle mila tha usko brief karne ke liye ki company kya hai. Toh teen ghante baitha tha uske saath, uske manager ne bol diya ki photo nahi khichwani hai, sir thoda bura maan jaate hain. Maine kaha saale, maine bola, nahi khichwaunga photo, bhaad main ja tu. Matlab aisi kaunsi heropanti ho gayi (I met Salman when I briefed him for a sponsored ad shoot. I sat with him for three hours and then his manager told me that Salman would not take a photo with me. I told him I won’t take a picture, you go to hell)".

 

When Ashneer made an appearance as a guest on Bigg Boss 18 later in 2024, Salman Khan schooled and lectured him on his prior 'provocative' remarks. The Bollywood celebrity reportedly made fun of Grover and advised him to watch what he says and how he displays himself. After that, Grover expressed regret to Salman and assured him that he had no intention of disrespecting him.

 

“The meeting was not held with you but with your team. Maybe you were also present there. We have not had any discussions. I saw what you said. You presented that we befooled you. This is wrong. Those numbers were wrong," Salman cleared. 

About Salman Khan's 'Bigg Boss 19'

On August 24, 2025, Salman Khan's Bigg Boss 19 made its debut. It will stream on JioHotstar 90 minutes prior to its Colors TV premiere for the first time. The focus of this season's theme, "Gharwalon Ki Sarkar," is on the candidates' increased authority and control, which Salman Khan has pointed out will inevitably result in a more intense "war zone" atmosphere. The season is predicted to last between 20 and 22 weeks, which is longer than usual. 

About Ashneer Grover’s ‘Rise and Fall’

Ashneer Grover, an entrepreneur best known for his work on 'Shark Tank India', is the host of the new reality show 'Rise and Fall'. The show, which was produced by Banijay Asia, debuted on September 6, 2025, and can be watched on Sony Entertainment Television and streamed on Amazon MX Player. 16 famous contestants are split into two opposing groups such as, "Rulers" and "Workers" in this social experiment of a show.