Salman Khan told me to lose weight, I cried all the way home: Sambhavna Seth

Sambhavna Seth, the popular Bhojpuri actress and former Bigg Boss contestant, recently shared a deeply personal experience involving Bollywood superstar Salman Khan.

 The revelation highlights the entertainment industry's longstanding focus on appearance and the pressure on actors to meet rigid beauty standards, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Sambhavna Seth first met Salman Khan when she returned to Bigg Boss Season 4 as a performer. She recalled to Hauterfly that the superstar praised her on stage.

“During Bigg Boss Season 4, Salman Khan pointed at me and said, ‘This girl killed it.’ When a superstar praises you like that in front of everyone, it means a lot,” Sambhavna said.

She also noted that actor Ravi Kishan introduced her to Salman, highlighting her success in the Bhojpuri film industry and her talent as a dancer. According to Sambhavna, Salman encouraged her to reach out directly for work opportunities.

“He told me, ‘Take my number. You don’t need anyone in between. No one will come in the middle , you can come directly to me.’ I thought that meant I had finally got work,” she recalled.

Sambhavna was later invited to perform again on another season of Bigg Boss. This time, the producers asked her to display the same outspoken attitude she had during her time as a contestant.

“I admire Salman Khan a lot, so I was hesitant, but the producers insisted I answer his questions with the same ‘Bigg Boss Sambhavna’ attitude. I did that, but I think Salman Khan didn’t like it,” she said.

After the shoot, she waited for Salman to call her regarding work. When he didn’t, she decided to meet him personally.

During the meeting, Sambhavna asked about the work opportunities he had mentioned earlier. Salman Khan reportedly told her:

“I think you need to lose a little weight.”

Although Sambhavna says she still respects Salman and remains a fan, she admitted that the comment left her deeply hurt.

“I sat in the car and cried the entire way from Lonavala to Mumbai while talking to my husband. It was devastating,” she said.

Sambhavna also revealed that she had never publicly discussed this incident before, as she had hoped to surprise her late father with the news of potential work in Bollywood.

Despite the setback, Sambhavna worked on her fitness and reached out again to Salman after a year, but she did not receive a response.

“I’m not someone who will keep chasing people for work. If someone truly wants to give you work, they will. Constant messaging only irritates them,” she explained.

Her experience reflects a larger conversation in Bollywood and the entertainment world about body image and inclusivity. Celebrities like Sonam Kapoor and Sameera Reddy have also spoken out about pressures to meet societal beauty standards. Experts recommend approaches like body positivity, loving your body regardless of societal expectations, and body neutrality, which focuses on appreciating the body for its function rather than appearance.

Sambhavna Seth first rose to fame as a contestant on Bigg Boss Season 2, where her confrontations with co-contestants Raja Chaudhary and Payal Rohatgi were widely discussed. She later returned as a challenger in Bigg Boss 8. While her reality TV image affected some industry opportunities, her talent as an actress and dancer has remained undeniable.

Today, the discussion around body image and inclusivity in the entertainment industry has grown significantly. While change is gradual, many now agree that talent should never be measured in inches, and recognition should go beyond appearances.

News.Az 

By Aysel Mammadzada