BharatPe founder Ashneer Grover's memoir, “Doglapan”, will be out on December 26. (ashneer.grover/Instagram)
Ashneer Grover, BharatPe co-founder, has spoken on why he is not part of the second season of Shark Tank India, the Indian adaptation of the global startup reality show. Grover has been replaced by CarDekho co-founder and CEO Amit Jain as a judge or “shark” on the show.
In an interview with RedFM, the entrepreuner was told about the buzz that the show’s makers could not afford him anymore. “Afford sirf paise se nahi hota, aukaat se hota hai (Affordability is not just about money, it’s also about status),” he said, seemingly in a joking manner.
When asked, Ashneer Grover said he got an offer from Bigg Boss, another hit reality show, but that he will not be a part of it. "Failed people go there, not successful people."
The other judges in the second edition of Shark Tank India include Anupam Mittal of Shaadi.com, Ghazal Alagh of Mamaearth, Peyush Bansal of Lenskart, Aman Gupta of Boat and Vineeta Singh of Sugar Cosmetics, all of whom were part of Season 1.
Soon after the trailer for the new season was out, fans of Grover expressed their disappointment and sought for his return to the show.
Grover was the most popular judge on Shark Tank India Season 1.
The show received mixed reviews after its launch in December 2021, and also attracted some criticism for mistreating entrepreneurs. Grover became fodder for memes after he made aggressive remarks on startup entrepreneurs seeking to raise funding.
On one occasion, he told a contestant that he had never seen a product as disgusting as the one he was pitching. One of Grover’s line from the show – “yeh sab doglapan hai (all this is hypocricy)” –- is the one most visible in memes.
His punchlines and comments on the show inspired memes on social media. And along the way, he developed a huge fan base.
Grover, who was engaged in a legal battle with the BharatPe board, resigned as its managing director in April.
His memoir, titled “Doglapan”, will be out on December 26.