Rajeev: Well, like I said, I'm aggressive in real life towards people who are unfair, bullies or prejudiced. Having said that, I have a wife and son, who I am extremely civil to! So it's not like I'm bursting with aggression and lashing out at everyone.

Our aggression comes from having grown up in a tough neighbourhood. Rahgu and I grew up in Delhi, in an area called Munirka. Our neighbourhood boys consisted of the kind whose daily recreational activity consisted of Chal, ladkiyan chhedte hain aur ladke peette hain. I mean, if they didn't do that for one day, they'd start getting withdrawal symptoms! Now in such a situation, collisions are bound to happen -- which they did, on a regular basis. And Raghu and I had to be tough to stand our own.

In school too, we were short, thin and wore glasses, back in the day when glasses were geeky, not cool. So we were easy targets and got bullied regularly. So now we don't take it lying down. As kids we got thumped a lot, until we grew bigger and started to give it back. Our group was like a band of boys against the rest of the world. We have seen mob mentality and the misuse of power, but always stood our ground. And naturally, more often than not, ended up paying the price for it.

Raghu: What you see on the show is one aspect of our personalities. That's obviously not the only aspect. At home we're different, at work we're different. But if in that same situation, we will react the same way. If I get into an argument with someone, I can out-shout anyone.

Rajeev is actually quite a clown. He's the wittiest person I know -- there's never a dull moment when he's around. I'm a wannabe musician, so by that logic I'm more sensitive at the same time. But you obviously don't see those sides of us on the show because there's no requirement for it. The show is not about us.

You have been criticised for encouraging the wrong kind of attitude -- bitching and backbiting?

Raghu: I think people should just go and get a life! Who are they to criticise me? For encouraging what? Is there a difference between showing and encouraging stuff? Are newspapers encouraging rapes, murders and terrorism? What's the logic? I think they can go f*** themselves -- I don't care! Please quote me!

Rajeev: We are not encouraging anything. There is nothing stopping them from saying, 'Okay, so one of us has to go every week -- let's just draw chits and have no hard feelings.' Instead, human nature is to plot and scheme to save your own a***, so that's what they're doing on the show.

In fact, we often take them aside and tell them to tone down the aggression a little. We're against violence and try to ensure it doesn't happen. If it does happen, however, it has to be shown, because that incident then affects the story.

We only encourage them to do their tasks. In fact, last year Raghu told the two winners, 'You have won not by doing any tasks, but because of politics and backbiting. So you may have won the show and the money, but you'll never win my respect.'

Caption: Rannvijay Singh Singha, the winner of the first season of Roadies is now a host with the show.

Also see: 'My output is not different because of my gender'