Ruby Bhatia, born Ruby K. Bhatia on November 1, 1973, is a Canadian-born actress, television host, and VJ who became widely recognized as India’s first video jockey when she joined Star TV’s Channel V in 1994. She won the Miss India Canada title in 1993 before moving to Mumbai, where she hosted popular shows including BPL Oye!, Filmfare Awards, Miss World 1996, and acted in Bollywood films like “Chori Chori Chupke Chupke” and “Kasautii Zindagii Kay”. After stepping away from stardom at age 30 to pursue spirituality, she now works as a happiness life coach, motivational speaker, and voice artist while residing in Goa.
Ruby Bhatia Early Life and Education
Ruby Bhatia was born on November 1, 1973, in the United States. She was raised in Canada, where she spent her formative years. Specific details about her parents, siblings, and childhood are not publicly disclosed.
Bhatia attended the University of Toronto, where she studied Philosophy. Her academic background in philosophy reflected her early interest in spiritual and existential questions. This educational foundation would later influence her decision to leave the entertainment industry for a more contemplative life.
Ruby Bhatia Age
Ruby Bhatia was born on November 1, 1973, making her 52 years old as of 2026. She entered the entertainment industry in her early twenties after winning Miss India Canada in 1993. By age 30, she had already decided to step away from mainstream fame to focus on spirituality.
Entry into Entertainment
Ruby Bhatia won the Miss India Canada contest in 1993, a victory she has described as almost accidental. She participated “just for the sake of it” with no particular ambitions in the entertainment industry. This pageant win brought her to Mumbai in 1994, where she participated in Femina Miss India, the same year Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen finished at the top.
Contrary to popular belief, Ruby did not compete directly with Aishwarya Rai and Sushmita Sen in the main Femina Miss India pageant. She served as one of the chief guests at a sub-pageant where she crowned Miss Beautiful Hair. This clarification addresses widespread misconceptions about her pageant participation.
Career as India’s First VJ
After arriving in Mumbai, Bhatia had no idea what video jockeying meant. She went for an MTV audition and got selected. Soon after, MTV partnered with Star TV to launch Channel V, and Ruby became its only VJ for six months.
As India’s first VJ, Ruby hosted every show on Channel V and gained massive visibility. She interviewed everyone from common people to Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan. Her tenure with Channel V lasted from April 1994 to April 1998, during which she became a household name.
Ruby hosted numerous popular shows including BPL Oye!, which became one of the most-watched programs on Indian television. She also hosted travel shows, game shows, and general entertainment shows on Star Plus. Her anchoring work extended to major events like the Miss World 1996 pageant held in Bangalore, which she co-hosted with Richard Steinmetz.
Television and Film Career
In 1997, Ruby made her television acting debut with “Yeh Hai Raaz” but quit the show midway and was replaced by Deepti Bhatnagar. She later appeared in several Hindi serials including Ekta Kapoor’s hugely popular prime-time daily soap “Kasautii Zindagii Kay”. In “Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin,” she played the funky character Meghna on Sony TV.
Ruby acted in several Bollywood films including “Chori Chori Chupke Chupke,” “Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon,” and “Do Yaaron Ki Yaari”. She also starred in advertisements for major brands like Colgate, Clinic All Clear, and Taj Tea. Her television hosting extended to shows like “Planet Ruby,” “The Kinetic Mega Show,” “Good Morning India,” and “Body & Soul”.
Ruby hosted shows for international channels including Zee TV, Sony Entertainment Television (SET), and B4U, which aired in countries around the world and brought her international recognition. She anchored “Bollywood Unlimited” for B4U Movies and a celebrities-only interview show called “Centrestage” for B4U Music. Her work has been broadcast to audiences across multiple continents.
Awards and Recognition
Ruby Bhatia received several prestigious awards during her entertainment career. She won the Onida Pinnacle Award for Best Compere, recognizing her excellence in hosting. She also received the Asian Television Award for Best Light Entertainer, acknowledging her contribution to television entertainment.
Her hosting of major events like the Filmfare Awards and the International Bollywood Awards established her as one of India’s premier event emcees. These high-profile assignments demonstrated her stature in the entertainment industry during the 1990s and early 2000s.
Ruby Bhatia First Marriage to Nitin Bali
During her Channel V days, Ruby met singer Nitin Bali, who became her first husband. They married when they were very young—Bali was 20 and Ruby was 22. Ruby described it as “a Bollywood dream, but a lot didn’t match”.
The marriage lasted approximately three years before ending in divorce in 1999. Ruby has stated that their parents pushed them into marriage despite their youth. The couple eventually parted ways, and the brief marriage ended before she turned 30.
Spiritual Journey and Transition
In 2006, Ruby delved into yoga and meditation, becoming a disciple of Sri Sri Paramahansa Yogananda. This spiritual journey marked the beginning of her transition away from mainstream entertainment. At the age of 30, when fame, money, and visibility were at their peak, Ruby walked away from it all in search of meaning, solitude, and spiritual truth.
Ruby has clarified that she didn’t disappear but chose spirituality over stardom. She rebuilt her life on her own terms, moving away from the public eye. Her decision to leave fame behind was driven by her philosophical nature and interest in God and spiritual inquiry that dated back to her university days.
Ruby Bhatia Second Marriage to Ajit S. Dutta
Through her spiritual practice, Ruby met Ajit S. Dutta (also spelled Ajith), a choreographer and fellow disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda. The couple married in December 2009. Ajit became not only her husband but also her spiritual guide and the father of her children.
Ruby and Ajit co-founded Body Dynamics, a venture offering dance and fitness workshops. The couple has two sons named Krishna and Vishnu. Ruby homeschools her children, integrating her spiritual values into their education.
Current Work as Life Coach
Ruby Bhatia now works as a happiness life coach, TV presenter, voice artist, and motivational speaker. She has been working as a freelance TV presenter since April 1994, continuing to anchor live events and make appearances. She describes herself on LinkedIn as being involved in personality development seminars and happiness life coaching.
Ruby provides guidance on weight loss, personality development, and personal well-being. She runs a 24/7 women’s helpline offering support for issues ranging from anxiety and depression to personal growth. Her services include life coaching, English lessons, podcast appearances, voiceovers, and personalized birthday messages, which she offers for fees starting at ₹1000.
She has over 5,600 followers on Instagram, where she actively shares videos promoting her various offerings. Ruby creates motivational content online and lives a life away from public scrutiny in Goa. Her work focuses on helping people find balance, health, and happiness through spiritual and practical guidance.
Ruby Bhatia Net Worth
Ruby Bhatia’s exact net worth is not publicly disclosed. During her peak years in the entertainment industry during the 1990s and early 2000s, she commanded significant fees for hosting major events and appearing in films and television shows. Her work with international channels and prestigious brand endorsements would have generated substantial income.
Her current income sources include life coaching services, voiceover work, event hosting, and various consulting services offered through her social media platforms. The Body Dynamics venture she co-founded with her husband also contributes to the family’s livelihood. Financial details about her assets, property holdings, or overall wealth remain private.
Legacy and Impact
Ruby Bhatia holds the distinction of being India’s first video jockey, pioneering a new form of television entertainment when Channel V launched in the mid-1990s. Her presence on television during the 1990s made her a familiar face in every Indian household. She set the template for VJs who followed, demonstrating how personality and charisma could drive music television programming.
Her decision to walk away from fame at the height of her career challenges conventional notions of success in the entertainment industry. By choosing spirituality over stardom, Ruby demonstrated that fulfillment can come from paths other than continued celebrity. Her journey resonates with people seeking meaning beyond material success.
In recent years, snippets of her old videos have resurfaced on social media, often accompanied by speculation about her disappearance. However, Ruby’s story is one of conscious choice rather than mystery—she deliberately shifted from entertainment to service-oriented work focused on personal development and spiritual growth. Her current work as a life coach represents a continuation of her desire to help others, now channeled through coaching and mentorship rather than entertainment.