Mahhi Vij turned down Bigg Boss for years. She finally said yes just months after ending her 14-year marriage to Jay Bhanushali, and she wasted no time naming what the show means to her: a fresh start she is calling her “second innings.”
Part of Belloria’s Bigg Boss 20 coverage. See the Bigg Boss 20 contestant list and season tracker for who is still in the house.
Who Is Mahhi Vij?
Mahhi Vij was born on April 1, 1982, in New Delhi. She moved to Mumbai at 17 to pursue modelling, later stepping into television and music videos before building a career that has now spanned more than two decades.
How Old Is Mahhi Vij?
Mahhi Vij is 44 years old as of October 2026. She was born on 1 April 1982 in New Delhi, India.
Career: From Laagi Tujhse Lagan to Seher
Her breakthrough came with Nakusha in Laagi Tujhse Lagan on Colors TV, a role that won her the Gold Award for Best Actress in a Lead Role in 2011. She went on to play Nandini in Balika Vadhu, one of Hindi television’s most-watched shows, cementing her as a familiar face across the genre.
Beyond fiction, Mahhi built a strong reality-TV record of her own. She and Jay Bhanushali won Nach Baliye 5 as a couple in 2013, and she also competed on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 4 and Khatron Ke Khiladi 7. After a gap of nearly nine years away from fiction, she returned in December 2025 as Kausar Baig in Seher – Hone Ko Hai, alongside Parth Samthaan, before joining Bigg Boss 20 the following year.
Personal Life: Ending a 14-Year Marriage
Mahhi married actor and television host Jay Bhanushali in 2011. The couple have three children: Tara, born in 2019 via IVF, and Rajveer and Khushi, both raised as foster children. After denying divorce rumours in October 2025, the two announced their separation in January 2026, saying they would continue to co-parent together. Mahhi has since pushed back on speculation around alimony, and Jay has publicly said he continues to support her.
How Many Children Does Mahhi Vij Have?
Mahhi Vij has three children. Her daughter Tara was born in 2019, and she and Jay Bhanushali fostered two children, Rajveer and Khushi, in 2017, according to ETV Bharat and Wikipedia. After announcing their separation, the couple said they would co-parent all three.
What Is Mahhi Vij Known For?
Mahhi Vij is best known for playing Nakusha in Laagi Tujhse Lagan, which won her the Gold Award for Best Actress in a Lead Role in 2011, and Nandini in Balika Vadhu. She and Jay Bhanushali won the dance reality show Nach Baliye 5 in 2013. She returned to television after a nine-year break with Seher Hone Ko Hai, according to Gulf News.
Why Did Mahhi Vij and Jay Bhanushali Separate?
On 4 January 2026 the couple announced their separation on Instagram after about 15 years of marriage, calling it a mutual decision and saying there was no villain in the story. They did not give a reason.
Earlier reports citing unnamed sources claimed marital problems and alleged that Mahhi had sought ₹5 crore in alimony, a claim she denied in a YouTube vlog, according to Gulf News.
Bigg Boss 20: A Self-Declared “Divorcee Special”
Bigg Boss 20 premiered on September 6, 2026, on Colors TV and JioHotstar, hosted by Salman Khan, with Mahhi Vij entering as the final contestant of the night. Salman revealed on air that she had turned the show down multiple times over the years before finally accepting this season, saying the timing simply felt right.
Inside the house, Mahhi wasted little time naming the season’s biggest personal-life pattern. Talking to fellow contestant Isha Rikhi, she pointed out that three divorced women, herself, Isha, and boxer Mary Kom, had all entered the same season, calling it a “divorcee special” and describing her own run as a “second innings.” She later asked Mary Kom about her divorce directly, a question Mary declined to answer.
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Also Read – Who is Isha Rikhi, her Bigg Boss 20 entry, and her marriage and divorce from Badshah.
Bigg Boss 20 So Far (as of 27 October)
Mahhi Vij was part of Week 2’s conflict with Yung DSA, which Salman Khan addressed on the weekend, asking her directly whether she had verbally abused him, which she denied. In Week 3 she backed Love Gill in the captaincy task despite being on the opposing side.
In Week 4 she was one of three captaincy contenders asked to name the nominee who had contributed least, and she picked Mary Kom before agreeing to Rhiti Tiwari’s exit. On 13 October she stepped in when Nakul Dhull grabbed Gullu and demanded his removal, and she was reported to be hurt in the scuffle, though the extent of any injury has not been verified. As of 27 October she is in the house and has been house captain since October 23, when Qazi Touqeer won a musical-chairs round and picked her. She is not on the reported list of six Week 8 nominees.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Mahhi Vij divorced from Jay Bhanushali?
Yes. The couple announced their separation in January 2026 after 14 years of marriage and continue to co-parent their three children.
Why did Mahhi Vij call Bigg Boss 20 a “divorcee special”?
She used the phrase because three recently divorced women, herself, Isha Rikhi and Mary Kom, all entered the same season.
What is Mahhi Vij known for on television?
She is best known for playing Nakusha in Laagi Tujhse Lagan and Nandini in Balika Vadhu, and for winning Nach Baliye 5 with Jay Bhanushali.
What is Mahhi Vij's net worth?
No reliable figure has been published, and Belloria does not publish estimates without a stated method.
The Bottom Line
Mahhi Vij spent years saying no to Bigg Boss and, by her own account, said yes almost on instinct once her marriage ended. Whether that instinct pays off, she has already made her personal life part of the season’s opening storyline, on her own terms.
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