'I had to just hold my lips for 30 seconds. But Jad got carried away.'
The Infamous Steamy Kiss between Bigg Boss OTT season 2 contestants Akanksha Puri and Jad Hadid led to the former's eviction.
Akanksha seems disappointed, calling the decision unfair and saying that the channel milked the kiss controversy.
Talking about her time in the Bigg Boss OTT house, she tells Rediff.com Contributor Sameena Razzaq, "I didn't got a chance to prove myself because some people had preconceived notions about me. So I am not happy with my journey at all."
If it wasn't for kissa kiss ka perhaps you would have still been part of the show. Do you regret kissing for the task?
Not at all. I don't think I am out because of kissa kiss ka.
From Day One, I was feeling targeted. I felt this game was not going in my favour.
The kiss was my major highlight in the show, and the only time when I got to perform.
So whether it was eating eggs or kissing for a task, I gave it my 100 percent.
I was demeaned on stage with things like she is picture perfect, confident, flawless and rehearsed.
She stands like a Miss India, she is perfect. So being perfect became my biggest disadvantage.
I was told I should have been raw, but not everybody can be.
I was in jail for three days.
A lot of things happened on the Weekend ka Vaar. I was called fake.
I was alienated from my friends, and told that I was in the wrong company.
Were you aware that you were kissing a man who is father to a four-year-old daughter? That also seemed to have upset host Salman Khan.
Yes, I am aware he has a daughter.
He used to sleep with her picture by his side.
He is a divorcee and has always been open about his life in the house.
Salman Khan was furious over your kiss. He pulled Jad and you up and even apologised to the audience. Do you think he was being unfair?
I felt it was unfair because he had to apologise. Even the channel should have apologised because they milked it.
They promoted the kiss, cut teasers out of it. They made reels out of it.
There is a thumbnail for the episode named the hottest liplock ever on the channel.
If it is wrong, how come these things were allowed?
How come the channel is not saying sorry to the host?
I don't understand these double standards.
You are being called a bad kisser. Do you agree?
There was a stupid take on this because I was holding my lips. I wasn't going all out in the kiss because I didn't want to.
It was not a private moment or a romance. It was a task.
I had to just hold my lips for 30 seconds. But Jad got too carried away; he wanted to enjoy the moment too.
So I wasn't kissing him back the way he was kissing me.
Do you think Pooja Bhatt is acting like a ring-master, controlling a bunch of contestants?
Everybody is like 'ma'am aa gayi'. The way we get scared as kids is definitely happening there, and people follow her out of respect.
She has strong convincing power, which works in her favour. I admire that about her.
I don't have that talent. I can't convince so many people.
People are scared of her.
Though your relationship with Paras Chhabra is over, you often say you guys never split up.
There was no closure because we didn't feel it was required.
I didn't want to waste time doing that. But I will never accept him back.
I don't look back in life.
That phase of my life is over.
I have evolved.
My focus is on my work.
Would you date someone from a reality show?
Yes. I don't have my restrictions.
I am just looking for a good man in my life.
How would you describe this Bigg Boss journey?
It was biased.
I felt targeted.
I didn't got a chance to prove myself because some people had preconceived notions about me.
So I am not happy with my journey at all.
People didn't get to see what Akanksha Puri is apart from that one day, where I was what I am.
So who is the smartest contestant?
The smartest ones are Pooja and Abhishek. They are playing the game very well.
I want Abhishek to win this game. He is the mastermind.
The underdog is Manisha. I see her in the top three.
