India’s First VJ Ruby Bhatia who interviewed Amitabh Bachchan and others left industry for spirituality, says, "was never comfortable with the kind of outfits Bollywood expected"

India’s First VJ Ruby Bhatia who interviewed Amitabh Bachchan and others left industry for spirituality, says, "was never comfortable with the kind of outfits Bollywood expected"

• Ruby Bhatia left Bollywood despite fame, citing discomfort with industry norms
• She felt restricted by expectations on women and loss of personal privacy
• Ruby found stardom limiting and never saw celebrity as her ultimate goal

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Ruby Bhatia was once at the very centre of India’s evolving entertainment scene. As the country’s first video jockey, she interviewed some of the biggest names in Bollywood, anchored high-profile shows, and became a familiar face on television at a time when media stardom was still taking shape. Yet, at the height of her visibility, Ruby chose to step away from Bollywood and the limelight altogether. Years later, her reflections offer a rare, candid look at why the world of films and celebrity never truly felt like home.

Having interacted closely with top stars, Ruby experienced Bollywood not from a distance, but from within. She met everyone, as she put it, “from a common man to Amitabh Bachchan.” The exposure was immense, and the opportunities kept growing. Acting roles followed her successful anchoring career, and she appeared in popular television shows like Kasautii Zindagii Kay and films including Chori Chori Chupke Chupke and Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon. Despite the visibility and financial rewards, Ruby admits she was never fully at ease in that ecosystem.

“I wasn’t happy doing a negative role in Kasautii, but I was young and it paid well,” she said, recalling her stint as Menaka Bose. She also pointed out how age and image were often manipulated in the industry. “I was 28 and playing a 25-year-old’s mother. Balaji did that with everyone.” While she understood the commercial logic behind such casting, it added to her growing sense of disconnect with the industry.

Beyond roles and scripts, Ruby felt increasingly uncomfortable with the expectations placed on women in Bollywood. Looking back, she admitted, “I was never comfortable with the kind of outfits Bollywood expected.” For her, the pressure to constantly fit into a certain visual mould felt at odds with who she was as a person. The glamour that many aspired to began to feel restrictive rather than liberating.

Her proximity to celebrity culture also came with a loss of personal space. As her popularity grew, so did public scrutiny. “Everyone knew me. I had no privacy. I wanted to live my life,” Ruby said, reflecting on her years in Mumbai. The city, buzzing with attention and constant movement, felt overwhelming to someone who valued silence and inner balance. “Bombay was crowded,” she noted, describing how the absence of anonymity began to weigh on her.

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Ruby’s experience with celebrity extended beyond films into live events and sports broadcasting. She was even selected to host ICC cricket events, another high-profile assignment that placed her firmly in the public eye. Yet, she was honest about her discomfort there too. “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 an assignment.” The admission underscored a recurring theme in her career: visibility without personal alignment.

Despite rubbing shoulders with stars and becoming part of Bollywood’s extended circle, Ruby never viewed stardom as the ultimate goal. In fact, with time, she came to see its limitations more clearly. “Big stars can’t live freely,” she reflected later. The constant attention, expectations, and lack of normalcy felt like a price she was unwilling to pay long-term.

Her interactions with celebrities also produced moments of innocence and humility. She once recalled mistakenly calling Anil Ambani “Mukesh Ambani” and failing to recognise Rekha at an airport. “She spoke 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.” The anecdote revealed how, despite being surrounded by stars, she never placed herself within that hierarchy.