‘All these Gen Zs and the millennials, who’re instantly discovering a lot curiosity in me and saying, ‘Oh my God, she’s wonderful, the place was she all this whereas?’ I used to be like ‘I used to be not beneath a rock, I used to be proper right here’.’
{Photograph}: Form courtesy Mini Mathur/ Instagram
Key Factors
- Mini Mathur, a former MTV VJ, received Prime Video’s actuality present Alliance, gaining a brand new Gen Z viewers.
- Mini views Alliance as a refreshing change, having beforehand felt ‘tv was over’ for her as a consequence of repetitive codecs.
- She believes her success demonstrates the necessity for creators to develop roles and reveals that includes older ladies who carry vital worth.
Mini Mathur was amongst MTV’s hottest VJs within the Nineteen Nineties. Now, in 2026, she has discovered an entire new viewers amongst Gen Z once more, after profitable Prime Video’s actuality present, Alliance.
Along with her win, the 50 12 months previous hopes to encourage individuals, particularly ladies, to imagine that they’ll do all of it, no matter their age and what others take into consideration them.
“I’ve by no means skilled the sort of love I get with simply profitable a actuality present regardless of having had numerous validation in my profession for thus a few years,” Mini says. “I am very grateful to the youthful audiences who’re discovering me attention-grabbing and my technique so interesting. I hope that you just have a look at ladies in a distinct gentle due to this.
“I hope you do not write off individuals due to their age. I hope you do not write off ladies who you suppose could be unfit or weak as a result of at any age you possibly can carry your physique, your well being and your thoughts again to whenever you have been 20. I hope I am a bit of inspirational and a residing proof of that truth,” Mini added.
‘I used to be at some extent the place I felt tv was over for me’
{Photograph}: Form courtesy Mini Mathur/Instagram
For Mini, Alliance got here as a breath of contemporary air. At one level, she felt that “tv was over for her” as a result of she “didn’t need to hold doing the identical issues many times.”
“I’ve by no means had self-doubt,” she says.
“Everyone suffers from some quantity of imposter syndrome in all the pieces they do, however I’ve really modified instructions in some ways. I’ve began my very own ladies’s well being platform.
“Two years in the past, I studied ladies’s well being for menopause, after which I began Pauseitive. However I used to be at some extent the place I felt tv was over for me as a result of I didn’t need to go on doing the identical issues many times, reinventing the wheel. You understand, I’ve finished sufficient actuality reveals, sufficient recreation reveals as a number that you recognize, one thing that has been there, finished that, I did not need to do once more. So this present got here as a breath of contemporary air,” she shared.
‘I’ve stated no to many actuality reveals as a result of I felt I didn’t match into that stereotype’
{Photograph}: Form courtesy Mini Mathur/Instagram
Mini admitted that she had stated no to many actuality reveals up to now, however Alliance was an exception, as its idea actually appealed to her.
“I’ve stated no to many actuality reveals as a result of I felt I didn’t match into that stereotype. Alliance was completely different as a result of after they defined that it was in regards to the recreation and in regards to the technique across the video games, it felt like one thing new. The way in which they spoke to me about it and the artistic head of the present Priya Bhave, was any person I’ve labored with on Indian Idol for a few years. She stated, ‘No, Mini, I am telling you that is for you and I’m satisfied that you’ll actually take pleasure in it’,” Mini stated.
‘You’ll be able to’t give me a facet function or a facet character in a present or give me like half-assed reveals’
The previous Indian Idol host feels her win has proved that there is area to write down characters like her and create reveals round individuals like her, who carry actual worth to the desk, maybe much more so now that she’s reached a sure age.
“So I simply went blind into it. And sure, I used to be prepared for one thing new as a result of I’ve finished all the pieces. I am bored. And now, I’ve found an entire new viewers who didn’t even learn about my MTV days or what I’ve finished in my previous. So all these Gen Zs and the millennials, who’re instantly discovering a lot curiosity in me and saying, ‘Oh my God, she’s wonderful, the place was she all this whereas?’ I used to be like ‘I used to be not beneath a rock, I used to be proper right here’,” she stated.
“However individuals should make reveals the place they showcase 50-year-old ladies on this gentle. You’ll be able to’t give me a facet function or a facet character in a present or give me like half-assed reveals. I hope this has proved to all of the makers which you could write in characters like me or make reveals round individuals like me who will carry worth to the desk and much more worth now that I am a sure age.”
Pictures curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
