Television actor Akashdeep Sehgal, who was eliminated from Sony's popular dance show "Jhalak Dikhla Jaa", doesn't regret his tirade against the judges - Farah Khan, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Shilpa Shetty.

He says the judges were not aware that they had wronged him and it was his duty to point it out.

"See, I'm not here to criticise anybody. May god bless Farah, Sanjay and Shilpa! But what did Shilpa mean when I was doing Samba and she called it Salsa? The entire public laughed and corrected her... if as a judge you are confused about dance forms, what are you doing in that chair?" questions Akashdeep.

However, he denies the allegation that he chose the opportunity to settle scores with one of the judges with whom he had a broken relationship.

"I spoke because things weren't looking right. Why would I choose the show to tell her what I felt? I'd have called up three years ago and told her what I thought," the actor told IANS.

Akashdeep also complains that he was never treated like a celebrity on the show.

"Whenever I came on stage, I felt I was a student and they're teachers. But when other contestants came on they were treated like celebrities. Don't give me marks. But don't single me out for harsh words."

Excerpts:

Q: What was the need to pull up the judges when you got eliminated?

A:I didn't pull up the judges. All I did was to clean my spirit. People have taken it in the wrong sense. I can't allow anyone to take away my spirit.

Q: So how was your spirit crushed?

A: From day one of 'Jhalak Dikhla Jaa', I've been getting special treatment from the judges. When Mahesh Manjrekar did Salsa, he put Lavni in it and the judges applauded him. When Ajay Jadeja did a flip Farah missed a heartbeat but when I did a flip, it became acrobatics. How do you justify this?

See, I'm not here to criticise anybody. May god bless Farah, Sanjay and Shilpa! But what did Shilpa mean when I was doing Samba and she called it Salsa? The entire public laughed and corrected her. She laughed and said, 'See how confused we judges are about the dance forms.' It's another matter that these moments got edited out. But if as a judge you are confused about dance forms, what are you doing in that chair?

Q: You sound agitated.

A: When I did Samba, which is a dance of celebration and I put it into 'Rang De Basanti', which is a song of the nation, the judges were left cold.

Q: So, maybe they didn't like your mix 'n' match style.

A: The song was two minutes long, and they said I wasted 40 seconds in putting 'tilak' on them. They should first understand Indian sentiments. And how could I have wasted 40 seconds doing tilak? Does that mean I hardly danced at all?

Q: Even your choreographer is quoted as saying you are a bad loser.

A: That's complete crap. Bindi thinks of me as her mentor. She hasn't given any interview about me. None of these comments attributed to me are mine. I can't learn to be manipulative at 30. Maybe the judges didn't know they had wronged me. It was my duty to point it out.

Q: So, you feel victimised?

A: No, they aren't big enough to victimise me.

Q: People say you were being nasty because of your broken relationship with one of the judges?

A: I spoke because things weren't looking right. Why would I choose the show to tell her what I felt? I'd have called up three years ago and told her what I thought.

Q: You are quoted as saying that you shouldn't have gone on the show because Farah is a judge.

A: Yeah, I thought she was professional and must have grown out of whatever happened. But I no longer regret going on the show. This was a reality show where everyone's true self came out in the open. I'm happy people saw me the way I am. I kept saying 'Thank you, god bless you' throughout. Did any of the judges show me any of the courtesy that they did to the other contestants?

Q: What next?

A: I had kept my film "Ahsaas: Key To Life", about AIDS which I'm producing, on hold. I'm going back to it. The story, screenplay, dialogues, art direction, choreography, direction - they're all mine. I've even sung for it. I continue to be part of "Kyunkii Saas Bhi Kabhi Babu Thi".

I was working round-the-clock to accommodate "Jhalak". After giving all my energy to it, I was told by the judges that my energy level was low.

Q: Apart from yourself, who's your favourite contestant on "Jhalak Dikhla Jaa"?

A: Definitely Mahesh Manjrekar. He's entertaining. He's got his share of appreciation but when I did my bit, I wasn't appreciated. I'm not a two-year-old kid who doesn't understand what's going on.

Q: Why were they victimising you?

A: I've no clue. Whenever I came on stage I felt I was a student and they're teachers. But when other contestants came on they were treated like celebrities. Don't give me marks. But don't single me out for harsh words.