Palash Sen, the singer who fronts the band Euphoria, told Screen that Salman Khan was "part of the problem" of paid negative PR and trolling in Bollywood. Salman had attacked that same culture on Bigg Boss 20. "He's a part of starting this. Let's not forget that," Sen said. Bollywood Hungama, DNA and Gulf News all carried the interview on 21 October 2026.
That's why the Palash Sen comments on Salman Khan are trending. A musician with almost 30 years in the business is publicly saying that one of Hindi cinema's most powerful stars helped build the system he now criticises on national TV. As of 22 October, neither Salman nor his team has responded.
Palash Sen's comments on Salman Khan: the exact quotes
The quotes below come from reports of Sen's interview with Screen, which is part of the Indian Express group. We couldn't access the original interview, so every line here is taken from the secondary coverage that credits Screen.
- On who started it: "He's a part of starting this. Let's not forget that."
- On where the problem starts: "Problems never arise from the bottom of the hierarchy; it starts from the top."
- The direct accusation: "I am telling you he was part of the problem. We all know it."
- The hedge: He also said, "I am not pointing a finger at anyone, but…" which Bollywood Hungama used in its headline.
- On staying at the top: Sen said anyone who has "maintained their position for many, many years" has "played with the PR guys."
Sen didn't dismiss everything Salman said. He called the Bigg Boss remarks "very, very brave," then cast doubt on them: "we don't know whether this was scripted or it was really organic."
The YouTube dislike story
Sen also talked about a trailer for an A-list actress's film that got more dislikes than likes. He says that episode led YouTube to hide dislike counts. He did not name the film or the actress, and we won't guess. Treat any social media post that "reveals" the title as speculation.
Why he stays out of Mumbai
Sen said he doesn't live in Mumbai partly to stay away from industry politics and from having to flatter powerful people. He said he could have gone down that road after Filhaal was a hit, but chose not to.
The trigger: what Salman Khan said on Bigg Boss 20 about trolling
To understand Sen's reaction, you need to know what Salman said. Bigg Boss 20 premiered on 6 September 2026 on JioHotstar. In a Weekend Ka Vaar episode that aired around 19–20 September, Salman spent a long stretch talking about trolls. No outlet gives an exact air date; the 19–20 September window comes from IANS coverage published on the morning of 20 September.
"Trolling is a business"
Salman's main point was that online negativity is a paid business. "Kisi ko neecha dikha ke aap paise kama rahe hain," he said ("You are making money by putting someone down"). He made fun of trolls who keep bringing up his age ("60 saal ka hogaya") and took his shirt off on camera, daring critics to judge his physique.
The Katrina Kaif angle
Salman also said women gain weight after pregnancy, and that this is normal. Many viewers took it as a defence of Katrina Kaif, who was trolled about her post-pregnancy weight after she appeared at the Ambanis' Ganpati celebrations. Katrina and Vicky Kaushal have a son, Vihaan. Salman never named her, though. The link to Katrina is a reading of his words that most outlets share, not something he confirmed.
Varun Dhawan and Sohail Khan
He also defended Varun Dhawan and his brother Sohail Khan, both of whom had been trolled over their looks. "That is wrong," Gulf News quoted him as saying.
The paid-reviews line (reported by DNA)
DNA India reports that Salman went further. It quotes him saying some heroes or producers pay people to put rivals down, and attacking paid film reviews: "For money, they give four or five stars to films. That is also a huge corruption." We couldn't confirm which episode this came from, and no other outlet we checked carries the line, so it is DNA's report.
This is the part Sen pushed back on hardest. Salman described a system of paid PR and paid reviews. Sen replied, in effect, that the biggest stars are the ones who built it.
Timeline: from Bigg Boss 20 to the Screen interview
| Date (2026) | What happened |
|---|---|
| 6 September | Bigg Boss 20 premieres on JioHotstar with Salman Khan hosting. |
| Around 19–20 September | Salman's Weekend Ka Vaar talk on trolling: "trolling is a business," the age jibes, the shirtless dare, the post-pregnancy weight comments, and his defence of Varun Dhawan and Sohail Khan. |
| Week ending 20 September | The show passes 20 million unique viewers (Ormax), up from 16.8 million the week before. |
| 18 October | Salman says on air that he will skip the next Weekend Ka Vaar and that Rohit Shetty will host. He gives no reason; reports point to prior commitments. |
| 19 October (night) | Tiger Shroff is shot at in Mumbai. A post claiming responsibility links the attack to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang and warns Salman's associates. This is not connected to Sen's comments. |
| 21 October | Bollywood Hungama, DNA and Gulf News report Palash Sen's Screen interview calling Salman "part of the problem." |
| 22 October | No public response from Salman Khan or his team. |
Why Palash Sen's remarks went viral
Musicians criticise film stars fairly often. A few things made this one spread faster.
- It flips Salman's own argument. Salman cast himself as a target of paid trolls. Sen said he was one of the people who built the system. That contrast makes for an easy headline.
- Sen is a credible outsider. He has nearly three decades in Indian pop and has deliberately stayed away from Mumbai's film circuit. That makes it harder to write him off as a rival with something to gain.
- The show was already big. The trolling episode came in the week Bigg Boss 20 crossed 20 million unique viewers, so the original remarks had a huge audience before Sen said anything.
- Salman was already in the news. Rohit Shetty stepping in as host and the Tiger Shroff shooting meant people were searching for Salman all week. Those stories are separate from Sen's interview, but they added to the attention.
For the full details on the shooting, see our explainer on the Tiger Shroff firing and what we know so far. Gulf News also reports that Salman was the shooters' first target, and that a Bishnoi cousin issued a warning to Salman over a demand for an apology.
Who is Palash Sen?
Palash Sen is a doctor who became a singer. He fronts Euphoria, the Delhi band he founded in 1998 and one of the best-known names in Indian pop-rock. The band has been making music for almost 30 years, from its first album Dhoom (1998) to Dhoomsday (2026).
His best-known songs include Maaeri and Filhaal. He was in the news earlier this year for another reason: he was Shah Rukh Khan's senior at school and talked about SRK's school days in an interview. He has also praised other stars recently. Bollywood Hungama links his Salman comments to an earlier story where he spoke warmly about Akshay Kumar and the song "Mahakal Chalo." That suggests his criticism is about Salman's role in the industry, not stars in general.
Did Palash Sen accuse Salman Khan directly?
Mostly, yes. "I am telling you he was part of the problem. We all know it" is a direct statement about Salman. Sen also said, "I am not pointing a finger at anyone, but…" and spoke more broadly about anyone who has stayed at the top for years.
He did not accuse Salman of paying anyone or name any campaign, so this is not a specific allegation of wrongdoing. It is a broad claim that the biggest stars helped create Bollywood's PR culture, with Salman as the main example.
Has Salman Khan responded?
No. As of 22 October 2026 we found no response from Salman Khan, his team or the Bigg Boss makers to Sen's remarks. Salman isn't hosting the next Weekend Ka Vaar either, as Rohit Shetty is filling in, so a reply on the show this weekend looks unlikely.
If Salman or his team comments, it would most likely be in a statement to entertainment media or when he returns as host. We will update this post if that happens.
What we still don't know
- The full Screen interview. All the Sen quotes here come from secondary reports. The full interview may have more context.
- Which trailer Sen meant. He did not name the film or the actress in the YouTube dislike story.
- The exact air date of Salman's trolling episode. Reports point to 19–20 September, but no source gives a single date.
- Where the paid-reviews quote came from. Only DNA reports it, and we couldn't place it in a specific episode.
- Why Salman is skipping this weekend. He gave no reason on air. Reports mention prior commitments, and nothing links it to Sen.
What to watch next
Watch for three things over the coming days. First, whether Salman addresses Sen when he returns to Weekend Ka Vaar. Second, whether other musicians or actors back Sen or push back against him. Third, whether the full Screen interview adds anything to what has been reported.
If you're following the show itself, our profile of Qazi Touqeer on Bigg Boss 20 covers one of this season's contestants. For what's streaming this week, see our new OTT releases this week roundup. More entertainment explainers are on the KyunTrend homepage.