Salman Khan’s blunt advice to Isha Rikhi on Bigg Boss 20 after Badshah breakup: ‘Other party has moved on’

Weeks after news broke of her separation from singer Badshah, actor Isha Rikhi is stepping into a new chapter, this time inside Salman Khan's Bigg Boss house. At the show's grand premiere, Isha avoided naming Badshah directly but got candid about how the breakup left her shaken, prompting a comforting response from host Salman Khan.

In her contestant introduction, Isha looked back on her years working across Bollywood and Punjabi films as the happiest stretch of her career. But everything shifted, she said, once she fell in love. She admitted that she tried hard, but some situations are just outside her control.

She continued describing how the relationship's collapse affected her sense of self: "Jab aapka trust toota hai, aap aisi stage pe aa jaate ho jahan aap sochte ho main kahan galat thi. Aur jo kuch bhi maine face kiya, it broke me. I don't want to talk about it. Pata hi nahi chala, kab main apni kahani mein side character ban gayi." (When your trust is broken, you reach a stage where you start questioning yourself and wondering, ‘Where did I go wrong?’ Whatever I went through, it broke me. I don’t want to talk about it. I didn’t even realise when I became a side character in my own story)."

Still, Isha insisted she carries no regrets, framing her Bigg Boss stint as a chance to reclaim her narrative. "But I don't regret anything. I'm coming to Bigg Boss so that I can step out of the shadows and create an identity of my own. And my aim will be to come out of the show as the winner," she said.

When she walked up to greet Salman Khan on stage, he offered words of reassurance, praising her resilience: (Everyone goes through breakups. Who do you think you’re standing in front of?)

He went on to remind her that private matters deserve to stay private, adding, that personal issues should remain personal. He also mentioned that the 'other' person has moved on a long time ago, so nobody should have the right to hurt you emotionally. Focus on the present and concentrate on your competitors, he concluded.

Badshah and Isha had largely kept their relationship under wraps until word of their marriage surfaced earlier this year. Photos from what appeared to be a private wedding ceremony began circulating online in March, shared initially by Isha's mother. Isha later confirmed the marriage herself during an Instagram Q&A session.

The relationship, however, didn't last. The pair announced their split through nearly identical statements posted to social media, each asking fans and followers to respect their privacy. Badshah wrote: "Isha Rikhi and I have mutually decided to part ways and move forward on our separate paths. This decision has been made with mutual respect, and we request everyone to kindly respect our privacy during this time."

Both statements also made clear the topic was closed for further discussion: "This will be our only statement on the matter. We sincerely request that there be no further speculation or assumptions regarding our relationship."