TV actor insults judges after losing a dance competition
MUMBAI: TV actor Akashdeep Saigal's outburst on Sony's celebrity dance competition show Aak Dikhlaa Jaa left the judges - Farah Khan, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Shilpa Shetty - shell-shocked.
"You've fallen in my esteem," Akashdeep, who was eliminated this week, told Farah while she sat in shocked silence.
"I'm 30. And I know your age. We'll both be around. Let's see what happens," he sniggered at Bhansali.
"Akashdeep gave such a long speech, it was almost like he was getting the lifetime achievement. But jokes apart, his exit from Aak Dikhla Jaa could been far more graceful. There was no need to be so ugly and unpleasant about the whole thing," Shilpa told IANS.
"His remarks to Farah were particularly hurtful and offensive. He had no business speaking like that. He has accused me of not using my own mind while judging his dance. Hello? I'm the one who has given Akashdeep the highest marks. Why did he have to be such a bad loser? Why couldn't he just accept the fact that others danced better than him instead of turning on the world at the moment of defeat?
"He says I consult the 'Jhalak...' creative head Sandip Soparrkar before making my comments. In fact, there's no time to consult anyone once the show is on. Once I reach the studio, I'm immediately doing my job with no time to think otherwise."
A lot of people felt the TV actor was allowed to get abrasive on camera to boost the TRPs. But Shilpa denied it and said judges' self-respect is more important than TRPs.
"No one knew what he had in mind when he took off. Of course, this is reality television. But none of us judges is going to allow our self-respect to be compromised for the TRPs."
The channel heads are none too pleased with Akashdeep's farewell furore.
"We certainly didn't expect this. And we do not endorse his behaviour. When we handed over the microphone to Akashdeep we never expected him to create such a 'tamasha'. He just didn't stop his tirade against the judges. We felt very embarrassed. These judges are not ordinary people. They are super-achievers. Akashdeep should have been more guarded in expressing his grievances," said a Sony official.
