Salman Khan's stand on body-shaming trolls steals the spotlight as Bigg Boss 20 surges past 20 million viewers
Bigg Boss 20 rides Salman’s viral Weekend Ka Vaar moment to streaming milestone
Bigg Boss 20 has passed 20 million weekly streaming viewers in only its second full week on air. It is the first show outside cricket to reach that number in a single week this year.
The numbers
According to Indian Express, Ormax Media's StreamView data shows the Salman Khan-hosted show drew more than 20 million unique viewers in India in the week ending September 20. Ormax counts a viewer only if they watched for more than 30 minutes during the week.
That is a gain of over 3.2 million viewers in seven days. The week before, September 7 to 13, the show had 16.8 million viewers. It also started strong: JioStar had already called the September 6 premiere the biggest opening day for a reality show on JioHotstar.
Salman takes on the trolls
The biggest moment of the week came on Weekend Ka Vaar. A discussion that started with contestant ScoutOP's remarks on trolling turned into a wider conversation about the online abuse celebrities face, and Salman used his own experience as the example.
The 60-year-old actor said he often gets comments about his weight and his age. He then dared his critics to say it to his face. He took off his hat and jacket, and then his shirt, on camera, inviting anyone to judge his current physique. He said he can't stay the young man from Maine Pyaar Kiya forever, and asked why someone's looks, weight or age should make them a target.
He also spoke about rumours that he had gone bald or had a hair transplant, explaining that his current look is for a film. He said he had lost a close friend about two months ago. He added that while online comments don't shake him, the same kind of trolling can do real damage to other people.
He then spoke up for new mothers. Without naming anyone, he asked why a woman should be mocked for gaining weight after having a baby. He said pregnancy naturally changes the body and that such women deserve time with their families, not scrutiny. Many viewers took the comments as a defence of Katrina Kaif, who has been trolled over her post-pregnancy appearance.
Inside the house
The contestants have also given viewers plenty to follow. Mahhi Vij and Amrapali Dubey clashed during the week, and captaincy and ration tasks opened up new rifts in the house. Qazi Touqeer is quickly becoming a favourite with the audience for his antics.
