Ashneer Grover, the former Shark Tank India judge, has recently addressed the controversy stemming from his appearance on Bigg Boss 18 with Salman Khan, stating that the show "turned his appearance into a controversy". Grover, who is now hosting a new reality show titled "Rise & Fall", made an appearance on Bigg Boss 18, which led to a heated exchange with the Bollywood superstar.

The controversy appears to have originated from Grover's past comments regarding a potential brand deal with Salman Khan. Grover had mentioned that he was attempting to get Salman Khan as a brand ambassador for his company and negotiated the fee with Salman's team. According to Grover, he had contacted Salman's team, who initially asked for ₹7.5 crores, but they eventually agreed to ₹4.5 crores.

During his appearance on Bigg Boss 18, Salman Khan confronted Grover about these past statements, questioning him about quoting incorrect figures and accusing him of "doglapan" (double standards). Salman reportedly said he heard Grover speaking about him and mentioning that "We have signed him for this much", while also giving the wrong figures. Khan also questioned Grover's attitude, which led to a rather tense exchange on the show.

Grover, however, maintains that he did not say anything wrong about Salman Khan and was, in fact, complimenting him. He believes that the show "created some controversy" out of his appearance, possibly because "that's what they needed for the show at that point of time".

Adding fuel to the fire, Grover had previously disclosed an incident where Salman's team allegedly denied him a photo opportunity with the actor. This further fueled speculation about tensions between the two. Grover stated that he spent three hours briefing Salman about his company during a sponsored shoot, but Salman's manager said photos weren't allowed because "Sir doesn't like it". Grover then responded by saying he wouldn't take a picture and questioned "what's with all the attitude?".

In response to Salman's remarks on Bigg Boss 18, Grover criticized Salman for allegedly pretending not to know him. Grover pointed out that Salman was once the brand ambassador of BharatPe, implying that it would be impossible for them not to have met. He stated that if Salman was the brand ambassador of his company, it wouldn't have been possible without meeting him, as everything had to go through him.

Despite the controversy, Grover has indicated that there are no hard feelings between him and Salman Khan. When asked if he would be open to working with Salman again in the future, Grover responded, "Ya, never say never". He also stated that he liked Salman back when he worked with him and that "there's no love lost".