Some people are destined for fame, but consciously choose to stay away from it. Ruby Bhatia is one of those rare souls. The journey of Ruby Bhatia, once a familiar face on Indian television, seems like a paradox. A former Miss India Canada winner, India’s first video jockey and a popular television host who interviewed everyone from the common man on the street to Amitabh Bachchan, Ruby was everywhere. And then, almost suddenly, she was nowhere.
In recent years, clips of his old videos have resurfaced on social media, often accompanied by wild theories and assumptions. But the truth is much simpler and much deeper. Ruby didn’t disappear. Choosing spirituality over stardom, he walked away from fame at age 30 and rebuilt his life on his own terms. Today she works as a life coach, quietly helping people find balance, health and happiness.
Speaking to Siddharth Kannan on his YouTube channel, Ruby shared, “I help with weight loss. I help with personality development. Happiness. Personal problems.”
Born in Canada to Indian parents, Ruby was adopted by her aunt and uncle. Growing up was not easy. “It wasn’t that easy. Also, growing up in Canada wasn’t easy. I faced racism,” he recalled. “I was the only Indian in an all-white school. Every time I wore ethnic clothes on Diwali, the boys picked on me. But all this helped me grow.”
Almost accidentally, life pushed her towards the Miss India Canada pageant. “I did it just for the sake of it,” he said. Fate, however, had other plans. Ruby won and that victory led her to Bombaywhere his life changed overnight.
Ironically, she had no ambitions to enter the entertainment industry. Ruby, a philosophy student deeply interested in God and spiritual research, had no idea what it meant to be a video jockey.
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“I had no idea what VJing was,” he laughed. “I went to an MTV audition and was selected.” Shortly after, MTV partnered with Star TV to launch Channel V and Ruby became its only VJ for six months. She hosted all the shows, gained massive visibility and officially became India’s first VJ. “I got exposure beyond imagination. I met everyone from a common man to Amitabh Bachchan.”
Contrary to popular belief, Ruby did not compete in the same pageant as Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen. “I was one of the main guests in a sub-contest,” she clarified. “I crowned Miss Beautiful Hair.”
During her days at Channel V, Ruby met her first husband, singer Nitin Bali. The marriage, however, lasted only two years. “We were very young, 20 and 22. It was a Bollywood dream, but many things did not coincide. Our parents pushed us to get married. Finally we separated.”
After her divorce, Ruby took a long break from her relationships. Almost a decade later, she met Ajith at an ashram. “He is now my guru, my husband and the father of my children. I am very grateful for him,” she said.
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Around the same time, Ruby abandoned her career, right at its peak. “I come from a small town in Canada where there is nature and silence. Bombay was full of people. Everyone knew me. I had no privacy. I wanted to live my life.”
At 30, he reached an emotional breaking point. Ruby, a devout ISKCON follower and at the same time a glamorous VJ, felt torn between two identities. “I was living two lives,” he admitted. “When I left my sadhana, I lost my energy. I had a nervous breakdown. I kept asking myself: why am I doing this? I was searching for meaning.”
In between her hosting career, Ruby also tried her hand at acting. She appeared in Kasauti Zindagi Kii, films like Chori Chori Chupke Chupke, Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon and Halla Bol. “I was not happy doing a negative role in Kasauti, but I was young and I was paid well,” she said, recalling her character Menaka Bose. “I was 28 years old and I played the mother of a 25-year-old boy. Balaji did the same with everyone.”
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He also spoke candidly about his on-screen and off-screen ego clashes with Ronit Roy. “Ronit and I still have problems,” he said honestly, adding that he shares a good relationship with his wife.
Ruby was even selected as the new face to host ICC cricket events, but admits it wasn’t her calling. “I didn’t understand cricket. Kapil Dev taught me personally and I learned a lot. But when Mandira Bedi took over, I was relieved. She loved the sport. I was just doing a task.”
Today, Ruby homeschools her two children, creates motivational content online, and lives a solid life in Mumbai. “I’m very happy to be out of the spotlight,” he said. “I love helping people.”
Looking back, she is grateful she never became a megastar. “Big stars can’t live. I had the best of both worlds. I never felt comfortable in the kind of clothing that Bollywood expected.”
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He also fondly recalled some endearing misstep: mistakenly calling Anil Ambani ‘Mukesh Ambani’ and once not recognizing Rekha at an airport. “She talked to me and I didn’t know who she was,” Ruby laughed. “Later someone said, ‘Rekha ji looks so beautiful’. I asked, where is Rekha? They said, you were just talking to her. She was my idol.”
Now far removed from glamour, Ruby Bhatia leads a simple and self-sufficient life. “I don’t have maids or drivers. I do everything myself.”