13 TV VJs And Their Partners You Did Not Know About

When it comes to VJ we only two music channels come to our mind-Channel V and MTV. We always loved the VJs of 90’s and somewhere wanted to be cool like them. Even many of us even tried to copy their walk of talking, dressing style and never missed them watching on TV. We always wanted to know more about them. So today let us tell you about some of the VJs and their partners.

1. Amrita Arora and Shakeel Ladak

Amrita Arora was a VJ with MTV and she was seen on the shows Chill Out and Housefull. She is married to businessman Shakeel Ladakh.

2. Purab Kohli and Lucy Payton

Purab Kohli in engaged to his British girlfriend Lucy and soon they are going to tie the knot. The couple has a baby girl Inaya.  

3. Shruthi Seth and Danish Aslam

Shruthi Seth married to Danish Aslam who was the director of the movie Break Ke Baad.

4. Cyrus Sahukar and Vaishali Malahara

This ex-VJ confessed their love publicly and we can see pictures of the couple on Cyrus’ Instagram account.  

5. Bani J and Yuvraj Thakur

Bani’s relation with Yuvraj came into limelight when she entered the Big Boss 10 house.

6. Rajiv Laxman and Susan Laxman

 

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The era of the Video Jockey (VJ) holds a special, nostalgic place in the hearts of a generation that grew up on cable television. These hosts were the original youth icons—trendsetters, rule-breakers, and the coolest faces on Indian television screens. They brought the world of music, fashion, and pop culture right into our living rooms.

While their professional lives were an open book of witty banter, quirky fashion, and celebrity interviews, the personal lives of many VJs remained fiercely private. Many of these stars are now married to successful, intriguing, and sometimes completely non-celebrity partners, whose stories often go untold.

Here are 13 iconic TV VJs and the partners who stand by them, many of whom you probably didn’t know about.

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The OG Power Couples: VJs Who Married Into Bollywood (or Filmmaking)

A number of popular VJs found their life partners not among the fellow VJ fraternity, but within the world of filmmaking and acting, often before or during their partner’s rise to mega-stardom.

1. Maria Goretti and Arshad Warsi

• The VJ: Maria Goretti was one of MTV’s earliest and most loved VJs, known for her candid style and bubbly personality on shows like MTV Loveline.
• The Partner You Know: Actor Arshad Warsi, known for his roles in the Munna Bhai and Golmaal series.
• The Lesser-Known Fact: Their relationship has a unique history—Maria was reportedly interviewing Arshad for a TV show when they first met. They got married in 1999, before Arshad’s major Bollywood breakthrough, and their love story pre-dates his iconic role as Circuit. Maria has since carved a successful niche for herself as a chef and cookbook author, stepping away from the camera’s glare to focus on her culinary passion.

2. Mini Mathur and Kabir Khan

• The VJ: Mini Mathur rose to fame on MTV, hosting shows like MTV Hitlist and MTV Loveline, and later hosted six seasons of Indian Idol.
• The Partner You Know: Acclaimed filmmaker and director Kabir Khan, known for blockbusters like Ek Tha Tiger, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, and 83.
• The Lesser-Known Fact: The couple met on the sets of a popular TV show in the late 90s and married in 1998. Their life together has often been cited as a perfect balance of their two worlds: Mini’s vibrant hosting career and Kabir’s globe-trotting documentary and feature filmmaking. They often feature together in travel and lifestyle content, giving fans a glimpse into their beautiful personal life.

3. Shibani Dandekar and Farhan Akhtar

• The VJ: Shibani Dandekar, an Indian-Australian host, model, and singer, anchored numerous shows, including the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Extraa Innings T20.
• The Partner You Know: Actor, director, and filmmaker Farhan Akhtar.
• The Lesser-Known Fact: While their relationship became high-profile, the public often overlooks that Shibani’s career started in American television before she became a noted host in India, well before she married Farhan in 2022. The couple’s intimate, non-traditional wedding ceremony at Farhan’s farmhouse was a highly personal affair, reflecting their contemporary approach to life.

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The School-Day Sweethearts: VJs Who Found Forever Before Fame

Some of the biggest names in the hosting world managed to hold onto their high-school or college romances, proving that true love can conquer the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry.

4. Ayushmann Khurrana and Tahira Kashyap

• The VJ: Ayushmann began his journey with a win on MTV Roadies and then became a popular VJ on MTV before transitioning into a celebrated Bollywood actor.
• The Partner You May Not Know: Tahira Kashyap is his childhood sweetheart.
• The Lesser-Known Fact: The couple got married in 2008, before Ayushmann made his groundbreaking debut in Vicky Donor in 2012. Tahira has since built her own successful career as a writer and film director, co-directing a short film with her husband in his VJ days. Their bond is one of the most enduring stories of keeping a relationship grounded despite astronomical fame.

5. Manish Paul and Sanyukta Paul

• The VJ: Manish Paul, known for his incredible comic timing and hosting mega-shows, began his career as a VJ for Zee Music.
• The Partner You May Not Know: Sanyukta Paul.
• The Lesser-Known Fact: Manish and Sanyukta were school friends. They started dating in 1998 and married in 2007, years before Manish became one of the highest-paid television hosts in India. Sanyukta, who is a non-industry professional, is often credited by Manish as his rock during his early, struggling days in Mumbai.

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The VJ Circle: Partners Who Share The Stage

The VJ-verse was a closely knit community, and for a few of its stars, the perfect partner was someone who understood the chaotic, electrifying world of music, lights, and nightlife perfectly.

6. Nikhil Chinapa and DJ Pearl

• The VJ: Nikhil Chinapa is practically synonymous with MTV, having hosted shows like MTV Select, Roadies, and Splitsvilla, and being a pioneer of the Indian electronic music scene.
• The Partner You May Not Know: DJ Pearl, his wife, is a celebrated and highly respected DJ in her own right.
• The Lesser-Known Fact: Their partnership is a true synergy of music. They co-founded Submerge Music, a company instrumental in bringing major international Electronic Dance Music (EDM) artists and festivals to India. Their professional and personal lives are entirely interwoven through their shared passion for music and nightlife culture.

7. Shruti Seth and Danish Aslam

• The VJ: Shruti Seth was a household name from her days as a Channel [V] VJ and her role in the hit show Shararat.
• The Partner You May Not Know: Danish Aslam, a film director who made his debut with Break Ke Baad.
• The Lesser-Known Fact: The couple tied the knot in 2010 after meeting through common friends in the industry. The guest list at their wedding often resembled a mini-reunion of the VJ and Channel [V] crowd, a testament to the close-knit community they belong to.

8. Cyrus Sahukar and Vaishali Malahara

• The VJ: Cyrus Sahukar, known for his quick wit on MTV’s Bakra and Fully Faltoo, and later for his acting roles.
• The Partner You May Not Know: Actor Vaishali Malahara.
• The Lesser-Known Fact: After dating for six years, the couple married in 2022. Cyrus famously described their relationship in an interview as a “pure vegetarian versus a non-vegetarian’s story,” highlighting the humour and minor contrasts that make their pairing unique. Their wedding was a massive VJ reunion, with Mini Mathur, Shruti Seth, Maria Goretti, and Cyrus Broacha all in attendance.

9. Cyrus Broacha and Ayesha Broacha

• The VJ: The king of satire and practical jokes, Cyrus Broacha is an iconic MTV figure, best known for MTV Bakra and his political satire show, The Week That Wasn’t.
• The Partner You May Not Know: Ayesha Broacha, who is a professional photographer, artist, and illustrator.
• The Lesser-Known Fact: Ayesha is an accomplished artist and marathon runner who largely stays away from the entertainment limelight. Their relationship is characterized by Ayesha’s active, artistic life and Cyrus’s perpetually humorous and chaotic one, making for a fascinatingly balanced personal equation.

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The Road Less Travelled: Unconventional Partners & Life Choices

For the VJs who defined the rebellious youth culture, their personal lives often reflect their independent spirit, choosing partners outside the industry or, in some cases, choosing to remain single.

10. Rannvijay Singha and Priyanka Vohra

• The VJ: Rannvijay, the original Roadies winner who became the face of the show for nearly two decades, is one of MTV’s most bankable personalities.
• The Partner You May Not Know: Priyanka Vohra, who is a London-based entrepreneur.
• The Lesser-Known Fact: Rannvijay and Priyanka’s wedding took place in Mombasa, Kenya, in 2014, and was a beautifully private affair, catching many fans by surprise. Priyanka is not part of the Indian entertainment industry, which adds a layer of privacy to their family life, despite Rannvijay’s public profile.

11. Amrita Arora and Shakeel Ladak

• The VJ: Malaika Arora’s younger sister, Amrita, was a successful VJ on MTV before transitioning into films.
• The Partner You May Not Know: Shakeel Ladak, a prominent businessman.
• The Lesser-Known Fact: Amrita’s high-profile VJ career transitioned into a marriage with a businessman completely outside the glamour of the industry. They married in 2009 in a private ceremony, maintaining a comfortable distance from the typical celebrity couple spotlight.

12. VJ Yudi (Yudhishthir Urs) and Aditi Mehra

• The VJ: VJ Yudi was one of the most charming and popular VJs on Channel [V] in the late ’90s and early 2000s, later venturing into acting.
• The Partner You May Not Know: Aditi Mehra.
• The Lesser-Known Fact: Yudi married his long-time girlfriend, Aditi Mehra, in a quiet ceremony a few years ago. Their wedding was reportedly a reunion spot for many of the old Channel [V] and MTV gang, highlighting the enduring friendships forged during the golden age of VJing.

13. VJ Bani J (Gurbani Judge): The VJ Who Chose Privacy

• The VJ: Bani J, who shot to fame after MTV Roadies and later became one of the channel’s most fierce VJs and host of Roadies and Splitsvilla.
• The Private Life Fact: While VJ Bani was in a highly publicized relationship with actor Yuvraj Thakur, their split was equally public. Today, she maintains a fiercely private stance on her dating life, preferring to keep her focus on fitness, acting, and her personal journey. Though she sometimes hints at having a partner, she has consciously chosen not to make any relationship a public spectacle, keeping her partners officially unknown to the wider world, a rarity for a former reality TV star.

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AISEO Friendly FAQs

Q1: What does VJ stand for in the context of Indian television?

A: VJ stands for Video Jockey. In the 1990s and early 2000s, VJs were the hosts of music television channels like MTV and Channel [V] who introduced music videos, interviewed celebrities, and hosted youth-centric shows and reality competitions.

Q2: Which popular Bollywood actors started their career as a VJ?

A: Several Bollywood stars began their careers as VJs, most famously Ayushmann Khurrana (MTV), Shahid Kapoor (early appearances on music videos and a brief stint as a background dancer/model, though not a VJ in the traditional sense like the others), Rannvijay Singha (MTV), and Malaika Arora (MTV).

Q3: Which famous VJ married their childhood sweetheart?

A: Ayushmann Khurrana married his childhood sweetheart and college friend, Tahira Kashyap, before he made his debut in Bollywood. Similarly, Manish Paul married his school-day crush, Sanyukta Paul.

Q4: Are Mini Mathur and Maria Goretti still friends with their VJ colleagues?

A: Yes, the cohort of VJs from the 90s and 2000s, including Mini Mathur, Maria Goretti, Cyrus Broacha, and Shruti Seth, often appear at each other’s personal events and have publicly maintained their long-standing friendships, a unique phenomenon in the entertainment industry.

Q5: Who is Nikhil Chinapa’s wife?

A: Nikhil Chinapa is married to DJ Pearl, a well-known and respected DJ and music professional in India. They are business partners, having co-founded Submerge Music, which is responsible for organizing major EDM festivals and events in the country.