Abhishek “Shake” Chatterjee, one of the stars of Love Is Blind season 2, the Netflix reality dating series, is sharing his thoughts about the widespread criticism he received for the way he acted on the show. The series showcases young singles looking for love who agree to get engaged to their favorite mystery date without having ever seen each other face-to-face. The 33-year-old DJ/veterinarian is one contestant of six couples who pair up to see if their love can survive and decide at the end of the season if they will move forward with the marriage.
While each couple faces unique challenges once able to physically connect, Shake’s relationship with fellow Love Is Blind star Deepti Vempati was one of the most chaotic couples of the series. When dating in the concealing “pods” during the first few episodes, sparks seemed to fly between Deepti and Shake, even though Shake would occasionally ruffle feathers. Once connected in the real world, the drama began to unfurl with Shake once he made rude comments to his fiancé during the show. Shake admitted that he doesn't feel a “physical connection" to Deepti and made numerous comments about her body during filming. During the Love Is Blind season 2 finale, Deepti and Shake revealed that they would not be getting married and have instead separated.
In an Instagram video posted to Shake’s main feed, the Love Is Blind star revealed that he is not apologetic for his behavior, despite the controversy surrounding his time on the show. Shake addressed his experience head-on by explaining that while he admits there are certain matters he would like to work on to improve his life, he does not include his relationship with Deepti as a relevant part of that process. "One thing I don't feel inclined to do is to pretend I'm sad or sorry about certain things," he explained. "I'm just not going to do that. I'm not sorry."
Shake went on to say, "I think I handled the situation as best as anybody in my situation could. And at the end of the day, I'm going to live my best life going forward. And you don't have to like me. Only I have to like me, thankfully. And that's real life." Shake’s post is seemingly a response to a separate Instagram post made by Deepti’s sister-in-law and brother, Hina and Sunny, who penned loving support to Deepti and a searing response to Shake's behavior on the show. Deepti’s family spoke up and stated, "In spite of your best efforts to pretend this was all fictional and it was because of the 'edit,' no one forced you to say those words. We welcomed you into our home, and you saw it as an opportunity for clout, so forgive me if I'm not sympathetic towards you and the hate you're receiving. Good luck with the rest of your life; and stay the **** away from my sister."
Every reality series has a villain, and Shake certainly is shaking things up amidst the end of the Love Is Blind season 2. No one wants their relationship to end, but in observing Deepti and Shake living together, it's safe to say that it was a love connection destined to fail. Hopefully, Deepti can move on from Shake and find happier love elsewhere. Meanwhile, Shake luckily has himself. He and his fellow stars of Love Is Blind will return once more for the season 2 reunion, where Shake is bound to face the music.
The Love Is Blind season 2 reunion streams March 4 on Netflix.
Sources: Abhishek "Shake" Chatterjee/Instagram, Sunny/Instagram