In the latest Weekend Ka Vaar episode of Bigg Boss Season 20, host Salman Khan recalled how he had almost turned down the 2008 television game show Dus Ka Dum as he was going through a difficult phase at the time. However, his father, writer Salim Khan advised him to take up the show. Salman also spoke about how Amitabh Bachchan found a new level of popularity through Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC).

Advising the housemates to be their true selves inside the Bigg Boss house, Salman said, “I want to give you an example from my own life. I did Maine Pyaar Kiya and many other films, and then I came on TV after I got a show. And at that time, there was a lot of negativity about me everywhere – from court cases, relationship, to my films.”

It was amid this difficult phase that Salman Khan was offered the opportunity to host Dus Ka Dum, but the actor admitted that he initially had reservations about taking it up. “I wasn’t going to do it because there was so much being talked about against me. Every newspaper, TV channel was thrashing me left, right and center. I spoke to my father about it and asked for advice.”

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Salman then recalled a piece of advice from his father, Salim Khan, that helped him deal with the negativity, reshape his public image and connect with audiences on a more personal level. “He said, ‘Don’t you trust your personality, heart, and upbringing?’ I said yes and he asked me to say yes to the show. He told me to be myself in the show. In that one show, they got to know who I was.”

The host continued, “Everyone forgot Maine Pyaar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Koun, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Karan Arjun, and all my other films. They just watched me on Dus Ka Dum because they didn’t see an actor, they saw a person.”

Drawing a parallel with Amitabh Bachchan’s television journey, Salman pointed to how Kaun Banega Crorepati allowed audiences to see a different side of the veteran actor. “The same thing happened with Mr Bachchan. The day he did KBC, he became Kaun Banega Crorepati uncle. So, they forgot all my film work and only remembered only Dus Ka Dum. I did two seasons there and then I have been hosting Bigg Boss since 17 seasons. My image in the media was cleared in one episode. There were ups and downs after that as well, but you have to show who you truly are,” Salman concluded.