With each passing day, the makers of Bigg Boss 19 are upping their game, and the contestants are leaving no stone unturned to win the trophy. In their bid to grab attention and boost TRPs, some housemates resorted to cringeworthy tactics by body-shaming and fat-shaming Ashnoor Kaur, who is just 22 years old.
From Tanya Mittal and Neelam Giri to Abhishek Bajaj, Kuncika, and Shehbaz, several contestants mocked Ashnoor. Abhishek Bajaj, who appears to be close to Ashnoor, was seen discussing her weight, claiming she entered the house at a certain weight and is now 65 kg.
The video of Abhishek digging and discussing Ashnoor's weight gain has surfaced on social media. Take a look
These comments triggered outrage among social media users and celebrities alike. Many came out in support of Ashnoor and slammed the housemates as well as the makers for not addressing the issue earlier.
Salman Khan reprimands contestants
During the Weekend Ka Vaar episode, host Salman Khan confronted Tanya Mittal and Neelam Giri for fat-shaming Ashnoor. In a promo shared by JioCinema, Salman asked the duo to share their opinion about Ashnoor.
Neelam said, "Achhi lag rahi hai (She's looking good)," while Tanya added, "Bilkul princess jaisi lag rahi hai (She's looking like a princess)."
Salman then exposed their earlier comments in front of Ashnoor and said, "Accha? Neelam, aapko apni chugli par garv hai? Tanya, aapne kaha haathi jaise, dinosaur, moti, fugge jaise shakal wali. Ye haq kisne diya aapko ye sab bolne ka?" (Really? Neelam, are you proud of your gossip? Tanya, you compared her to an elephant, a dinosaur, called her fat, looked like a balloon. Who gave you the right to say that?)
He further told Tanya to stop fooling people, saying, "Logon ko bewakoof banana band karo, ab bahut ho gaya" (Stop making a fool out of people, enough now). A visibly hurt Ashnoor responded, "Shame on you, Tanya."
Salman also criticised Abhishek Bajaj for age-shaming Kunickaa Sadanand and called out Kunickaa for repeatedly playing the age card with the housemates. However, Kunickaa refused to accept her mistake and dismissed Salman's advice, to which he responded, "Aap denial mein jee rahe ho. We'll leave it right here." (You are denying this, but I have the footage)
Celebrities support Ashnoor
Actor Gauahar Khan took to Instagram Stories to call out Tanya's behaviour. "Initially, I thought Tanya was sorted, innocent, and entertaining. And I still think she's entertaining, but the way she's body-shaming Ashnoor behind her back is absolutely disgusting. Calling her 'haathi' during a task and making remarks like '21 saal ki nahi lagti,' 'kitni chubby hai,' or 'iska weight put on ho raha hai' is shameful," Gauahar said.
She also recalled an earlier incident, saying, "Two weeks ago, Ashnoor came out wearing a dress. Neelam said, 'She looks nice,' and Tanya added, 'She looks like Barbie.' But as soon as Ashnoor left, Tanya said, 'When did I say she looked nice? I only said she looked like Barbie,' and then both of them laughed."
Gauahar concluded, "I don't understand why someone would comment on another person's looks and then talk behind their back. Everyone has the right to feel beautiful. If you need to put others down to feel prettier, then you're not beautiful at all. True beauty comes from being good-hearted."
Ashnoor's father reacts
On Thursday, Ashnoor's father shared a reel on Instagram showing comments made by Amaal, Kunickaa, Tanya, Neelam, and Shehbaz about his daughter. He wrote, "Why is everyone so insecure about a 21-year-old? Oh, I know... they can't match her dignity and grace."
A recap of what housemates said
Amaal and Shehbaz were seen talking when Amaal commented, "Ande jaisi shakal hai" (She has an egg-like face), to which Shehbaz added, "She has become a thepla."
Neelam and Tanya were also heard saying, "Kitni moti hai, sara din gym karti hai fir bhi itni moti kaise? Uske dresses hum par zyada suit karenge" (She's so fat, even after working out daily; her dresses would look better on us). Tanya also claimed that Ashnoor looked older than they. Kunickaa added, "Even my 13-year-old granddaughter knows what to eat and what not to."
In a recent episode during the ration task, Tanya once again called Ashnoor "haathi" and continued fat-shaming her along with Neelam and Kunickaa.
