Tuesday, 06 January 2026
Tuesday, 06 January 2026
When MTV Music went off air on 31 December 2025, it felt like more than just another channel shutting down. It marked the end of an era that an entire generation of millennials can identify with.
Long before social media turned everyone into a “digital creator”, MTV India proved to be a launchpad for “influencers”. If you could hold a conversation, dominate the screen, and sound confident, you could become a VJ. And this gift produced a generation of stars.
Nikhil Chinappa was one of MTV India’s earliest and most influential VJs. Hosting shows like MTV Select and MTV Sound Trippin’, Chinappa was once the face of the music channel. Deeply knowledgeable about the global music culture, he helped position MTV as a tastemaker rather than just a music channel.
Rahul Khanna brought a different kind of presence. As the host of MTV Most Wanted in the mid-’90s, he was suave, articulate, and a treat to watch on screen. The impassioned and witty manner in which he interacted with fan letters on the show was poles apart from the mainstream Indian television of that era (read Doordarshan). MTV allowed Khanna to carve out an identity beyond his film lineage — he is the son of Vinod Khanna.
For Shenaz Treasury, MTV was the launchpad that defined her public persona. As a VJ on MTV Most Wanted, her energy, humour, and relatability made her instantly popular. More importantly, MTV taught her how to connect directly with audiences, a skill which she later leveraged for her digital content creation.
Reality television changed MTV India. And Rannvijay Singha became its face. First appearing as a contestant on MTV Roadies Season 1, he soon became the show’s long-running host and mentor. Roadies didn’t just give Rannvijay fame, it made him a household name. For nearly two decades, he embodied the show’s values of resilience, discipline, and leadership.
Another Roadies alumnus who went on to rewrite his destiny was Ayushmann Khurrana. Winning Roadies 2 proved to be his gateway to showbiz, but it was his stint as an MTV VJ, hosting shows like MTV Fully Faltoo Movies and MTV Roadies auditions, that opened up avenues for him as an anchor, which eventually paved the way for his big Bollywood break with Vicky Donor.
Then came Bani J, who emerged from MTV Roadies 4 as a contestant impossible to ignore. She didn’t fit the traditional mould, and easily won hearts with her honesty. Through Roadies, and later MTV Unplugged appearances, Bani’s unapologetic personality resonated with a generation of fans.
