Lakshmi Tripathi

Transgender activist Lakshmi Tripathi was eliminated from Bigg Boss on Saturday night…

Relieved or disappointed?

I feel I did my job as an activist…as Lakshmi…. For the hijra (transgender) community. To be frank, I was getting quite bored inside the house. I have a lot of work to do outside and I am not really disappointed on being voted out. Maybe the audience will be disappointed with me not being there on Bigg Boss anymore. But as I said, I have a 24x7 job of sensitising people outside to the plight of the hijra community and I am glad I am going back to that now.

But didn’t you go in to win?

It was more important for me to play the game with dignity and maintain my self-respect. I walked in with honesty and integrity a month ago and my dignity is intact. I believe I put in my best and when I was nominated, the people of India felt that I had spent enough time in Bigg Boss and needed to get out and so they voted me out. But the fact that I could last one month in the house without being from the entertainment industry is a huge achievement. I am not a huge star; I am just Lakshmi — a hijra who can beg on the streets, who can dance at weddings and who can even go to Bigg Boss!

What was your one-month stay in Bigg Boss like?

I had a luxurious holiday after so many years! I just lazed around without being disturbed by television, by my mobile phone or the Internet. But I also re-discovered myself. I realised that I am a very emotional person. I was just myself. The way I conducted myself was enough to show the people of India that a hijra can co-exist peacefully with people from other sexualities. I have done all I can… now it’s up to the people to either accept us or not accept us. I can’t go to each and every person in this country and say, ‘Look, treat me this way. Accept me’.

But one also saw you contributing to the fights and the negativity in the house…

I spoke my mind whenever it was required. I never initiated any fights, but I did take sides whenever necessary. Like when Sky (Akashdeep Saigal) character-assassinated Mahek (Chahal) on live television, I felt it was my duty to side with her. If he could do it to someone like Mahek who he knows for the last 13 years, imagine what he could do to a person like me who is anyway shunned by society? But all said and done, one has to understand the frustrations and pressures that we have all felt cooped up for so long in that house. People may fight… people may call each other names, but at the end of the day, everyone is good at heart. Of course, there are people like Pooja Missra whose every move on the show is governed by how much footage she can get, but I tried to get along with her also. Even after fighting with me, she would wake me up and offer me a midnight snack. That girl is really cuckoo!

Anil Kapoor in 24

Did Swami Agnivesh’s three-day stay change things in the house?

Oh, he is such a sweetheart. A person of such stature coming into the house is a big thing. He brought in a lot of positivity. He made a huge impression on everyone in the house.

Who did you get along well with?

I got close to Mahek who I consider to be my sister and Amar (Upadhyay) who is like a son to me. I also liked Pooja Bedi and Juhi Parmar. Once Bigg Boss gets over, I will keep in touch with everyone.

Who do you think will last till the end?

I can give you three finalists — Pooja Missra, Amar Upadhyay and Juhi Parmar.

Would you like to go back?

Of course. I want to go and play the game again. I want to go and inflict my hijra antics on everyone again! (Laughs). That will be fun.