After staying at home for several months, Bollywood stars have finally started going out and shoot their upcoming projects. Salman Khan, who stayed at his farmhouse in Panvel throughout the lockdown, has also resumed work.
The superstar has started shooting for the fourteenth season of his highly popular reality show Bigg Boss. Today, at a live press conference, Khan gave audiences a brief tour of the new glass-walled house of Bigg Boss 14.
The Dabangg (2010) actor also spoke in detail about the apprehensions of working during the ongoing pandemic. “It is scary to be shooting nowadays. I get scared when I see someone coughing or sneezing around me. These are such trying times. I am not worried about myself but those that are around me. I worry that I should not be the reason they contract Coronavirus. I have not taken as many leaves in the past 30 years that I took in the last 6 months. I used to take 10 leaves a year previously and now I had no work for the past 6 months,” said Khan during a question-answer session with Sidharth Shukla.
Salman Khan, who has been hosting the controversial reality show for several years now, introduced Jaan Kumar Sanu as the first contestant of Bigg Boss 14. Jaan is the son of renowned playback singer Kumar Sanu.
Bigg Boss 14 will be Khan’s eleventh season as the host of the show. Other than Salman Khan, such Bollywood stars as Amitabh Bachchan, Shilpa Shetty, and Arshad Warsi have also hosted the show in the past.
Last year, the makers shifted the sets of Bigg Boss from Lonavla to Goregaon Film City in Mumbai. The new Bigg Boss house will have a host of facilities that we have not seen on the show before, including an in-house mall, a theatre, a spa, and a restaurant.
Bigg Boss 14 is set to hit the airwaves on Colors TV starting from 3rd October.
Rahul’s casual dismissal of that controversy has added fuel to the fire
Rahul Bhatt sparks controversy over 'insensitive' remarks about sisters Alia and Pooja Bhatt
Rahul Bhatt, fitness trainer and son of veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, has found himself at the centre of a social media storm following controversial remarks about his half-sister, Alia Bhatt. In a recent interview, Rahul drew comparisons between Alia and their older sister Pooja Bhatt, calling the latter more talented, attractive, and principled.
The comments, which many have labelled inappropriate and insensitive, have sparked widespread criticism online. During the interview, Rahul stated, “In my opinion, she (Alia) is not even half of what my real sister Pooja is. Not in talent, not in looks, not in terms of being sexy. In front of my sister, she is ‘paani kam chai’ (watery tea). Amongst the siblings, the most talented and the most moralistic is Pooja.”
Social media users reacted strongly, questioning why Rahul would compare his sisters in such personal terms. Several users were particularly disturbed by his reference to their appearance and sex appeal, pointing out that such comparisons within a family cross boundaries of propriety. One comment read, “This is disturbing. Why talk about your sisters like that? It’s not just weird, it’s wrong.” Another post said, “There’s nothing respectful about comparing your siblings’ attractiveness in public.”
The backlash also reignited conversation around a decades-old controversy involving Mahesh Bhatt and Pooja Bhatt. Rahul was asked about the infamous 1990s magazine cover where the father-daughter duo shared a kiss, which had stirred public outrage at the time. Dismissing the criticism, Rahul said, “It doesn’t make any difference. It’s like water off a duck’s back. We know the truth, and we’ve seen everything since childhood.”
Rahul’s casual dismissal of that controversy has added fuel to the fire, with critics saying it reflects a broader issue of the Bhatt family being insensitive to public perception and boundaries. Many users questioned the need for bringing up old incidents in a bid to defend new and equally questionable statements.
As of now, neither Alia Bhatt nor Pooja Bhatt has issued any public response to Rahul’s remarks. Both actors, known for their significant contributions to Indian cinema, have typically kept family matters private despite living in the public eye.
This episode has also sparked debate over the role of public figures in maintaining respect when discussing family matters in the media. Observers say such comments, especially when involving women’s appearance and personal qualities, reinforce problematic attitudes and fuel unnecessary controversies.
While Rahul Bhatt is not as prominent in the entertainment industry as his father or sisters, his comments have made headlines and placed the Bhatt family in the spotlight for reasons beyond their creative work. For many, this serves as a reminder that public platforms come with responsibility, and that family ties should not be trivialised or dissected for attention or comparison.
The backlash is unlikely to subside soon, especially as fans and followers of Alia and Pooja continue to express disappointment over the way the situation has unfolded. Whether or not Rahul chooses to clarify or apologise remains to be seen.