Former Bigg Boss winner and the forever forthright television actress Shilpa Shinde is on the warpath against this season’s Bigg Boss winner Sidharth Shukla.

Shilpa who admits to being in a relationship with Shukla in the past explained to me why it was important for Shukla’s true colours (pun intended) to be exposed. “By winning Bigg Boss he’s supposed to be setting an example. He is supposed to be some kind of an inspiration and role model for many others who aspire to be winners on Bigg Boss. Is this the behaviour you endorse by making an abusive man a winner?”

Shilpa who won the Bigg Boss contest in 2013 says she wouldn’t have spoken out if she hadn’t seen it imperative to do so. “It is okay for others to say, ‘He behaved this way with this girl and that girl.’ But who knows what goes on between two people in a relationship except the two who are in a relationship? I’ve been in a relationship with Mr Shukla. I know what it was like. And I was not at all surprised by his behaviour towards women on Bigg Boss. People don’t change. They only pretend to change.”

So what was Shukla like in his relationship with Ms Shinde?

She thinks for a while and then says, “He was aggressive in his behaviour. As if he had something to hide. His phone would be switched off for long hours when we were seeing one another. He would go missing without prior announcement. Where would he go and why would his phone be switched off? When I asked him he would get aggressive and ask back if I didn’t trust him. But I trusted him. So why didn’t he respect that trust?”

Shilpa reveals there were many times when she would come to his rescue. “Once he got into trouble for acting aggressively with cops. I had to make some calls….But it’s not as if he didn’t have a good side to him. Of course, he did. I’ve seen him help those who have come to him in distress. But having said that, I’d still like to insist that he wasn’t the right person to win Bigg Boss.”

Then who was?

“Without a doubt, Asim Riaz. In fact, I was sure Asim would win. A day before the winner was announced, I came to know Sidharth Shukla was winning. I made some discreet inquiries and I came to know he was winning because of his connections…I don’t want to elaborate on it. Earlier also, he won on Khatron Ke Khiladi, apparently because he got a lot of help and support from behind the scenes. At that time I didn’t come out against his winning because I had no proof of my allegations. But now I’m sure Mr Shukla doesn’t deserve to win on Bigg Boss because I’ve seen his behaviour with me. And I’ve seen his behaviour with Shehnaaz Gill and Rashami Desai. Believe me, it isn’t healthy behaviour. I guess respect is two-way traffic. You get as good as you give.”

Now that Sidharth Shukla has won what is Shilpa’s advice to future contestants on Bigg Boss?

“Don’t imitate his behaviour. He didn’t win because he was aggressive with women. He won because he had the backing of influential people.”