'I Have Been Insulted For My Lack Of Education'

'I studied in a government school, whereas all of them came from convent schools, speaking fluent English.'
'I am one of the most educated girls in my village.'

On Bigg Boss OTT Season 3, no name sparked as much conversation as Shivani Kumari's.

Accusations of being 'uncultured' and 'uncivilised' echoed through the house till her dramatic eviction over the weekend, painting the 22-year-old social media influencer in a controversial light.

In conversation with Rediff.com Contributor Mohnish Singh, she says, "Getting evicted from the show just ahead of the grand finale broke my heart into a million pieces."

How did you feel when you heard your name announced for eviction so close to the grand finale?

I was feeling terrible.

Getting evicted from the show just ahead of the grand finale broke my heart into a million pieces.

I came out of the house crying. But then, I had to gather myself.

When I saw the audience reaction to my game, it made me feel both emotional and ecstatic.

My fans are even saying that they will no longer watch the show as I am not there.

Their unconditional love has left me speechless.

Their love means more to me than the trophy.

I have now made peace with the fact that I have been eliminated.

Your eviction was decided by your fellow housemates rather than the audience. Did that hurt you?

Yes. I am sure my audience would have saved me if they could have voted.

Were you expecting to get this far in the competition?

I always saw myself in the top three.

What were your expectations before entering the house?

I started dreaming of being a part of Bigg Boss not long ago.

I am glad that my dream came true so early.

I thank the makers that they considered me worthy enough to be on the show and that I did not have to wait for years to realise my dream.

Also, I am glad that I could represent my culture on such a big platform.

Ranvir Shorey never missed an opportunity to call you uncultured and uncivilised. What do you have to say about this?

I would like to tell him, please come out of the show and try to know me, understand me, and then form an opinion about me.

His perception was based on how he perceived me inside the house. It's not fair.

As a 50-year-old man, he wants everyone to listen to him and respect him, which is fair enough. But you should also respect others, irrespective of their age and background.

I am much younger than him. As a human being, I also deserve respect.

Some housemates made fun of your educational background.

I never hide the fact that I am not very educated.

I studied in a government school, whereas all of them came from convent schools, speaking fluent English.

If I was raised in a similar environment, nothing would be better than that.

But I am not complaining. I am as I am.

I am one of the most educated girls in my village.

Would you like to learn English now?

Definitely. I almost gave up studies since I started making vlogs. It was a mistake.

I would like to focus on studies now.

Education is very important.

What are your plans now that you are out of the Bigg Boss house?

I have been insulted for my lack of education.

In my village, there are many girls like me who do not get proper education for various reasons.

I don't want them to face what I have gone through in my life.

I want to help them.

Whatever money I am going to receive from Bigg Boss, I will use it for their education.

You called Chandrika Dixit and Sana Makbul your friends but both of them went against you.

I make friends with my heart and if someone starts getting calculative in their friendship, it is not my fault.

I trust people easily. I get attached to people who I call my friends, but they don't understand me.

Naezy never failed to nominate you. Do you think you were his easy target because he did not want to ruin his equation with the other housemates?

Yes. We never bonded well, and I would often laugh at how he would behave in the house.

Since he had no other way to do anything about it, he started nominating me week after week.

Which housemate would you never like to meet again?

Armaan Malik.

You knew him from before. Do you think he should have not come on the show with his two wives?

It was wrong.

Out society does not accept polygamy. It was a wrong move from every angle.

Having said that, it is his personal life. If his wives are not complaining, who am I to pass judgement?

How do you plan to use the experiences and lessons from Bigg Boss in future?

I want to move ahead in life.

I want to work in Bollywood. If someone offers me work, I will do it.

I would keep doing vlogging, for sure.

I want to set up an NGO and help the poor.

Who is the fakest contestant on the show?

Kritika Malik.

Who do you think can win the trophy this season?

Lovekesh Kataria.

How would you describe the following contestants in one word?

Naezy: Plays it safe.
Sana Makbul: Uses her brain well.
Lovekesh Kataria: The man with a brain.
Armaan Malik: Mastermind.
Kritika Malik: Pati ki pooch pakadkar bhagne wali.
Sai Ketan Rao: Does not use his brain at all.
Ranvir Shorey: Clever.