Ruby Bhatia was once one of the most recognisable faces on Indian television. After winning Miss India Canada in 1993, she moved to Mumbai and became the country’s first and most popular video jockeys. At the height of her career, she hosted shows and high-profile events, interviewed celebrities and became a familiar face to television audiences.

But Bhatia eventually walked away from the entertainment industry to pursue a spiritual life. Now, years after stepping away from the spotlight, she is working online as a life coach and content creator. In a recent conversation with The Quiet Stories Podcast, Bhatia opened up about her career, spirituality, motherhood, finances and why she chose a quieter life over fame.

‘I took my first sanyas at 18’

Bhatia said her search for spirituality began when she was just 18. She recalled being ambitious at the time and wondering what the highest achievement in life could be.

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“I took my first sanyas at 18. I was very ambitious, and I thought, what is the highest achievement in life? Moksha. So, inwardly, I said, ‘Lord, I want only you. I don’t want anything else. I just want you.’ And I started studying philosophy at the University of Toronto,” she said.

She later won the Miss India Canada title in 1993 and came to India.

“When I came to Mumbai, I thought I would go into Bollywood because I didn’t know what else to do. At that time, there wasn’t much awareness about modelling. Films were what you knew,” she recalled.

Her entry into television happened almost by chance. Bhatia said the industry was looking for someone with an international personality at the time, and she happened to be in the right place at the right time.

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“That was the right place, right time and an explosion. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t handle it, and honestly, I still can’t handle it. I still can’t process it. I look at it more as a responsibility than a career,” she said.

Bhatia went on to become India’s first VJ and a familiar face on television. She hosted shows including BPL Oye! and the Filmfare Awards and also appeared in television and films.

‘I had enough to leave it and live a simple life’

Despite the success and money that came with television, Bhatia said she eventually felt that showbiz was taking her away from the peace she was looking for.

“I had to leave everything to find God because my mind had become disturbed in showbiz. There should be some purpose to your work as well. I had enough money to leave it and live a simple life. I wanted my peace back because I grew up in the countryside in Canada. I wanted the peace that I was no longer finding in showbiz,” she said.

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Her spiritual journey eventually became a defining part of her life. In another interview, Bhatia said she spent two years meditating almost constantly after leaving the entertainment industry.

‘My kids became my teachers’

Bhatia said motherhood brought another major shift in her priorities. She has two children, Krishna and Vishnu, and said becoming a mother taught her more than anything else could.

“At 28, I had all the answers. Then I got busy with my own process and had my own kids, who taught me more than anything else could.”

She recalled trying to continue working after the birth of her son Krishna, but said one experience made her reconsider. She had taken up an anchoring assignment and planned to be away for only about an hour. When she returned after around an hour and a half, she found her son crying.

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“I said to my husband, ‘Has he been crying since I left?’ He said yes. I was like, ‘Oh gosh, he has been crying for one and a half hours.’ I thought, no. What is the point? I got a good amount of money, but I thought, ‘Your tears? We will wipe them. We won’t be the reason you cry,’” she recalled.

Bhatia said she realised that her children needed her presence.

“When life becomes that tender, that sensitive, that vulnerable, you take a call. What else are you going to do? I did it out of choice because, in a way, I didn’t have a choice. They are your babies. You want to make sure they are okay. That is the kind of transition my life took,” she said.

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Bhatia said her spiritual beliefs have also influenced the way she looks at work and ambition.

She said, “I know my kids need me, and being with them is what the Lord wants right now. He doesn’t want me to serve millions. He wants me to serve these two. That requires a kind of flexibility that is difficult but very rewarding. I was a star, and today I have to clean the house. I cook, I make roti and sabzi. I need to do what needs to be done and have the grit to do it as a human being.”

Why she turned to social media for work

Bhatia said that while she had chosen not to return to the demanding schedule of mainstream television, she still needed to earn.

“We are a simple household. You have to keep track of every rupee; otherwise, everything goes up and down. My husband, my kids and I live a simple life. I had to start earning by myself. I can’t do a 12-hour shoot. I can’t physically live that life. I can’t do it. So I started working on social media.”

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Ruby turned down Bigg Boss offer

She was also approached for Bigg Boss, but turned down the opportunity despite the money involved.

“I was called by Bigg Boss. It was big money, but I said, ‘I have two little bosses at home and I need to take care of them,’” she said.

She explained that her family’s needs are modest and that she would rather earn enough to maintain their lifestyle than sacrifice the balance she has created.

“We don’t need that much money. We need a few thousand here and there. Around Rs 40,000-50,000 a month and we are comfortable. If Rs 1 lakh or Rs 1 crore comes, most welcome, but I am not going to disturb the balance we have in the family. If I am away for three months, I am sad and they are sad. Everything gets disturbed. Then what is the point of the money?”

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From VJ to life coach

Bhatia said her work now includes life coaching, personality development and weight management. Rather than conducting formal therapy sessions, she offers as informal, one-on-one personal guidance.

“I am like your big sister. Some people call me Ruby Di. Whenever you need me, I am there for you,” she said.

She also sends clients material she has prepared so that they can work through it and apply it to their lives.

In another conversation with the Veriinteresting Podcast, Ruby spoke about her current fees for life coaching. She said she has deliberately kept her charges low to make her services more accessible.

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“I charge very little now because if I say Rs 1 lakh, nobody will come. I have kept it at Rs 1,000 for a starting one-month program, Rs 3,000 for six months, and Rs 5,000 for a year. This is my fee structure,” she said.

She added that even a few clients a day are enough to provide her with the additional income she needs.

“If I get two or three clients in a day for Rs 1,000, that is good for me — it comes to around Rs 1 lakh a month,” she said.

Bhatia has also started working with small businesses, creating promotional reels for them.

“I got offers to make reels for small businesses, so I do that as well. Income comes in, which feels good, but it is a small business,” she said.

She acknowledged that working for herself comes with its own uncertainties.

“As an entrepreneur, I have to take on that roller-coaster ride. Sometimes a lot of work comes in at once, and sometimes absolutely nothing comes in. That’s when I do promotions to get the enquiries rolling again,” she said.

Bhatia said her work allows her to maintain the life she has chosen.

“I have a picture of my perfect life. It is a very quiet and simple life,” she said.