On Sunday night, Sshivani Durga became the second contestant to be voted out from this season of Bigg Boss. Sshivani, a tantric and occultist by profession, spoke to BT over the phone after her elimination, about what she felt wrong during her stay in the house, why Swami Om's notoriety hurt her, and why calls of boycotting her don't rattle her.

When you ask her what went wrong, she has a quick reply, “I don't think I did anything wrong, it's just that I came from the saadhu-sant samaj and the previous Bigg Boss inmate who came from this field ­ Swami Om ­ has a very negative image. People started comparing me with him and in the end, his notoriety hurt my chances. I wasn't a celebrity or an entertainer, so people couldn't connect to me. It's sad, but that is how it is.“

Sshivani says that she knew she would get eliminated this week. “I don't have a fan base or a PR team to raise support for me from the outside. So, when I was nominated, I knew that I had limited time in the house and I tried to be positive about it. That is why I composed a song. I thought viewers should see that positive side of me, too.“

When she spoke to us before entering the Bigg Boss house, Sshivani had said that she would miss her pets the most. Though she is happy to be reunited with them, she says she will now miss her new family. “I made friends inside the house. That is my new family and I will miss them. When I was leaving, everyone told me to stay in touch. They even took my contact details on a napkin, writing with kaajal. That was touching. I will surely miss them, and will stay in touch with all of them,“ she says.

Sshivani feels that among her fellow inmates, Hiten Tejwani has the best chance of winning the show this season. “He is a balanced individual, very level-headed, and people like him,“ she explains.

Last week, the apex body of saints and ascetics in India - Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad - called for a boycott of Sshivani, saying that ascetics who opt for 'cheap publicity through reality shows' should be de-recognised. Reacting to this, Sshivani says, “How can you boycott me if you haven't ever recognised me? They have maintained that I am not a part of their saadhu-sant samaj, but I consider myself to be. So, I don't need their validation when they have never extended it in the first place. Such calls of boycott don't bother me. As for the allegation of cheap publicity, I participated in the house to spread the message that tantra is not bad, and improve the image of tantrics and occultists.“