TOI: I was like a father to Vida-Shakti

A holier-than-thou Shakti Kapoor says his spotless conduct might have got him evicted from 'Bigg Boss 5'!

A surprisingly smug Shakti Kapoor is quite pleased about his eviction from " Bigg Boss 5" on Saturday night. He admits that he was shocked when he realized he was the only male contestant on the show, but is happy he didn't 'let any female contestant down'. In fact, he thinks his sharafat might have been the reason for his eviction!

"Bhagwan ne meri sunn li aur main bahar aa gaya," he tells DT. "People were waiting for me to do something offensive - hit on girls, use foul language, get dragged into verbal duels that were uncalled for - so that they could take digs at me, but nothing happened. And I take pride in that. Even though 42 members of my family tried to deter me from taking up the offer, I did it only to prove to the world who I really am. Never have my kids faced any problem because of what is said about me. My daughter Shraddha is my strength. She tells me what I should do in life and has helped me develop a rational and positive outlook. Why would I have done anything that would annoy my family? Ab dekhna mere jaane ke baad kya-kya hoga," he says.

Even though Pooja Bedi and Mehek Chahal, along with other house inmates, accused him of not behaving like a responsible father/husband in the show, he says he chose not to retort. Why? "Pooja Bedi toh galatfehmi ki shikaar thi. Why should I have reacted to what she said? There was no truth in her allegations. I was like a father to Vida. Vida toh sabke saath friendly hai. People who badmouthed me, did it to gain more footage. Ghar mein maine sabko behen ya beti ki tarah hi samjha. I believe in respecting women. Reacting to what was being said about me could have been interpreted as a way of validating Pooja's opinions. Sabne socha, Shakti se ladenge aur TV pe aayenge. But I didn't let them do what they wanted. That's why the viewers saw me take walks in the lawn or get busy with household chores," he says.

Shakti, who was apparently 'snubbed' by hosts Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt in the opening episode, says he is clueless why. "I don't know why they didn't speak to me. Mujhe laga woh show ka format tha. Mujhe bola left ho jao, main left ho gaya, bola right ho jao, toh right ho gaya. But yes, it is true that Salman and I haven't spoken for the past nine years. It's best to let bygones be bygones. Salman is like a younger brother to me. I respect Salim bhai and Salman a lot and wish them good luck," he says.