Salman Khan used the latest episode of Bigg Boss 20 to speak out against online trolling, body-shaming and what he called inappropriate paparazzi photographs of female celebrities.

During the show’s “Weekend Ka Vaar,” Salman addressed trolls who criticized his former girlfriend Katrina Kaif over her postpartum weight following her appearance at a Ganapati Utsav in Mumbai last week.

“Why do you troll somebody who gets pregnant? Pregnant hone ke baad everyone puts on weight… Jab woh pictures mein wapas aayegi toh woh fit aayengi… she wants to spend time with her family,” Salman said.

A video clip of his comments quickly went viral, with social media users praising the actor and calling him “Pookie,” a Gen Z term of affection for someone seen as standing up for a good cause.

“If green flag had a face,” one user wrote, while another commented, “Green flag to ab Salman Khan lagne laga mujhe.”

Salman also addressed criticism about his age, saying he knows people mock him for growing older.

“Of course, I'm 60 years old, yaar,” he said. “You cannot be Maine Pyar Kiya all the time… this age has become a topic suddenly. Log kehte hain woh budha ho gaya hai… what do you want to troll… mujhe pata hai mujhe kaun kaun troll karta hai… hum react nahin karte… humare fans club itne saare hain… humko kya farak padta hai… bolne do inko.”

At one point, Salman removed his shirt and hat, wiped off his makeup on camera and challenged trolls to criticize him. He then showed his physique, making it clear that he was not affected by the comments.

He also defended his brother Sohail Khan and others who have faced online ridicule.

“Pehle apne aap ko dekho, apne jism ko dekho uske baad karna yeh sab… apne maa baap ko dekho… uske baad troll karna… mazak udana Sohail ke upar, Varun ke upar it's not done,” he said.

“Jitna trolling karna hai kar lo, phate hue joote bhi pehenta hoon,” Salman added.

Salman criticises paparazzi

Salman also criticized paparazzi for photographing actresses from behind and taking what he described as inappropriate shots.

“Paparazzi hip shots lete hain, taangon ke shots lete hain, aur agar peeche se shot mil jaaye toh woh bhi lete hain. None of these heroines, none of the girls like it,” he said.

Referring to his niece, he added, “Meri apni niece chal rahi hoti hai, toh peeche se uska shot le rahe hain aur caption daalte hain ‘Pehchaano ye kaun hai?’”

“I am saying all this to girls: agar aisa ho toh ghoom ke ek chamat maaro aur bolo, ‘Apni maa-behen ka shot le lo.’ Disgusting people! What is this mentality?” Salman said.

Salman and Katrina reportedly began dating in the mid-2000s after working together. Katrina later said in a 2011 interview with Cosmopolitan that Salman was her first serious relationship.

Katrina has been married to Vicky Kaushal since 2021. The couple welcomed their first child, son Vihaan, last November. 

#From NDTV