Sree's IV in TOI:
Sree IV..
He may not have lifted the 'Bigg Boss' trophy, but first runner-up S Sreesanth
was definitely one of the most sought-after contestants inside the house this season. In a candid chat with BT, the cricketer talks about his stint on the reality show, his plans to get back in the game and more. Excerpts...
You couldn't win the trophy... are you disappointed? How do you summarise your journey?
The best part is, these 105 days helped me become the old fun-loving Sreesanth, who my wife fell in love with and who was missing since 2013. When the incident (being accused of spot-fixing and getting a life ban, which he is fighting against) happened, I went into a shell and wanted to come out of it. I am really grateful that I could understand a lot of things about myself during my stay inside the house, be it aggression or caring for someone. I am happy that I finished the journey, though my wife was disappointed. It would have been great to win the trophy, but Dipikaji is a strong woman and I am happy that she won. I have realised that it's important to be a sport, be nice and know what to speak and when. I didn't come here to win the trophy, but to see if I could survive. The secret to success is to be yourself. I had a great journey and I am proud that I didn't just survive, I ruled it and even pre-empted what's going to happen. The makers have been approaching me since 2009, but I always said that I would never be a part of 'Bigg Boss'. But now I would say that every celebrity should try it. It's the best thing one can go through. With the way things were going inside the house, I never thought I would survive even for a week. Anupji (Jalota) guided me like a father figure and an elder brother on how to go about the show and more than that, how to look at the positive side of life.
It's not easy to be open about difficult times, but you seem to have taken things on the chin. How difficult were those five years?
Five years and still counting. Every moment is difficult, even when I watch a match or practise with the players at the Kerala Cricket Association. I was a coach for a celebrity cricket league. Whenever I trained or practised with them, I missed cricket. The only reason I took it up was because I was allowed to be in the centre ground, which BCCI doesn't allow. Life sentence for a criminal is for 14 years, but unfortunately in cricket, the life ban given to me is till my last breath and it really hurts. People who are guilty and proven so, are playing international cricket. And here I am telling my sad story, which hurts. I totally deserve a chance to play club cricket, so that I at least get to prove my fitness levels and play for the Kerala cricket team. If my ban is lifted and I get to play for six months, I will give a lot of youngsters a run for their money. Hats off to my wife for being with me through all the tough times. I don't think I showed her the side she loved, even though she adjusted with me for the last five years. Now is the time when I'll do whatever she says. She wants me to give her a head massage, which I will. The way the past five years have been, I now want to give the best to my wife and kids.
We saw you lose your cool inside the house at the drop of a hat. Are you as short-tempered in real life as well?
I used to be short-tempered on the field, when it came to winning or losing. After those incidents I saw a different side of me, which was witnessed by people on the show as well. Now, I don't shy away from hugging the person who has been against me. Forgiveness is bliss and I believe in it. Many a times, I was portrayed as a villain for a minor mistake, conveniently forgetting a lot of good things that I did. It was highlighted because of who I am and what I have done in life. People close to me know that's not the way I react if I lose in real life.
You were accused of being disrespectful towards some women inmates like Surbhi Rana and Somi Khan...
I only reacted to Surbhi because of her comments. The outburst was because she said things about my family. Having said that, I know that I shouldn't have said such things and I feel extremely sorry about it. Talking about Somi, she was trying hard to show something on the show, but couldn't do anything. She was restricted by the club which they formed, which was sad. I don't even want to use the word happy' as they were never happy. They would perpetually plan and instigate others. I was nice to other women, including Jasleenji (Matharu) and Meghaji (Dhade). I end up reacting if I see something bad happening.
You were also accused of not performing tasks on the show and always threatening to walk out...
I don't want to question my sister who won, but has the winner performed tasks? (Laughs!)
How's your equation with Harbhajan Singh, who you accused of being a backstabber on Twitter after the infamous slap-gate?
That was in 2013. We cleared it out on that very day and I don't want to revisit it. Bhajji paa is a real sweetheart and a brother to me. My wife told me about her conversation with him when she came to the 'Bigg Boss' house. His words of motivation and inspiration during my playing days helped me immensely. He is someone who has supported me in my hard times in the past five years.
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