The Race 3 (2018) actor, who is now set to host his eighth successive season of the reality TV show, recalled how he was offered the project after Shah Rukh suffered an injury while shooting in Prague.
I wasn’t meant to host Big Boss, Shah Rukh Khan was the original choice: Salman Khan
Mumbai - 05 Sep 2018 18:00 IST
Our Correspondent
Salman Khan returns to Bigg Boss to host his eighth successive season. This will be the reality television show's 12th season. Khan and Colors TV's officials made the announcement in Goa yesterday (4 September). During the brief media interaction, the Race 3 (2018) actor revealed that he was not the first choice for hosting the show back in 2010.
The first season was aired on Sony Entertainment Television with Arshad Warsi hosting it. As Bigg Boss moved to Colors TV, Shilpa Shetty hosted the second season and Amitabh Bachchan took up the mantle for the third season. Thereafter, Khan took over and has since remained its host.
However, it seems Khan wasn’t the television channel’s first choice. In 2010, when the officials were weighing their options, actor Shah Rukh Khan was the most prominent name. “I wasn’t meant to host the show. Shah Rukh Khan was the original choice. But he had some injury while shooting in Prague so he couldn’t take it up. I was then offered the show. So, I‘d like to thank Shah Rukh Khan and Colors TV for giving me this show," Salman said at the press conference.
Salman had earlier hosted Dus Ka Dum, a game show on Sony Entertainment Television, a rival of Colors TV, and had fulfilled his contract with the channel. Since Bachchan didn’t return to host the fourth season of Bigg Boss and went back to Sony to host Kaun Banega Crorepati instead, the only choice that remained with the channel was Salman.
There weren’t too many queries thrown at Salman at the event, but the actor-producer was asked to name his favourite actresses from the past. “Women are excelling in all walks of life. It's good but please don’t overtake us very fast," Salman replied before naming his favourite actresses. The list included Hema Malini, Rekha, Nutan, Mumtaz, Madhubala, Waheeda Rehman, Shammi and Asha Parekh.
The new Big Boss will have a slight twist in its format. The contestants will stay in rooms in pairs at the Bigg Boss house. "The idea this time is to bring together two people having such characters that they make for a bizarre pair,” Salman added.
Bigg Boss 12 will be aired from 16 October.
