About Mini Mathur

Mini Mathur is India’s leading television presenter and reality TV host. She has hosted four seasons of the extremely popular ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony Entertainment Television which went on to become one of the most popular TV shows in India.

Mini holds a degree in English literature from Lady Sriram College & in Business Management from Institute of Management Technology, Ghaziabad and started her career as an advertising professional at J Walter Thompson. A chance opportunity at being the face of Rayban sunglasses led her to many more coveted modelling contracts and her first game show on Indian television called Tol Mol Ke Bol (based on the international hit “The price is right”). Shows like Hit thi hit hai on ZeeTV, Hit Hit Hurray on Home TV, Khoobsurat on Zee TV followed the next year, along with television soaps like Tanaav & Vakaalat on ZeeTV and Khwaish on Sony. Mini then began travelling extensively as host of the path breaking travel show Indian Holiday, which took her all over the country and international holiday destinations like South Africa, Ireland, Philippines, France, Ireland and Kenya. During the filming of this show, Mini researched and scripted her own links.

Several more game & quiz shows led her to Mumbai where she joined MTV as a VJ, after a highly memorable VJ hunt where she impersonated Simi Grewal interviewing Mamta Kulkarni in a hilarious head to head.

Four years at MTV saw Mini host shows like The Big Picture– an interview based show with film stars such as Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai, Preity Zinta & Kareena Kapoor, MTV 123– a countdown of the week’s top 20 videos, MTV U pop – videos with a unique interactive sms based format, MTV Made in India– an interview based show with pop stars, MTV Chillout – a fun interactive road show at youth campuses and the latest in music, MTV Gao Baby Gao – a spontaneous studio based game show with upcoming singing talent, MTV Gaana Masti – a spoof on film songs and international videos and MTV Classic- that played serious classic tracks to a generation of music lovers.

While at MTV she got an opportunity at an international presence with Bombay Blush, a culture show on India that aired in the UK. She hosted 2 seasons of the highly rated show on BBC2.

She returned to mass entertainment on television with the first edition of the smash hit Indian Idol where she charmed the nation with her warmth, wit and spontaneity, and continued to be a favourite for 3 non-stop seasons when she took a break to have a baby.

She also did several shows on music thereafter. Having accumulated goodwill amongst musicians she hosted Yeh Shaam Mastani, an interview based concert series with the maestros of music amongst others.

Mini then stepped into the jungles of Taman Negara (Malaysia) for 2 months to host the first season of Iss Jungle se Mujhe Bachao live, which was the Indian edition of  “I’m a celebrity, get me out of here”.

She also put on her dancing shoes as a celebrity contestant on Jhalak Dikhlaja Season 2.

A keen quizzer herself, she then hosted a hardcore sports quiz show called Sports ka Superstar which gave her a chance to hone her knowledge on sports and appear on 2 seasons of Kaun Banega Crorepati (Who wants to be a millionaire) as an expert lifeline. She then went on to produce and host a popular chat show on parenting called Parvarish.

She returned to host Indian Idol season 6 in 2012 to recreate the magic spun by the earlier editions of the show.

Known as a host with a world view and political aspirations, she chose to host an interview based show with politicians, industrialists and opinion makers on DD, the national channel.

In February 2004, Mini presented the Mumbai International Marathon LIVE for ESPN. This was the first ever marathon in India with an 18 camera set up by an international crew. Following this, she presented the Asia Cup cricket tournament live from Colombo, Sri Lanka also for ESPN.

As an MC, Mini has hosted innumerable music summits, concerts for international acts like Deep Purple, Junoon and Bryan Adams, awards and pageants for MTV and over 400 corporate events for brands such as Pepsi, Airtel, Microsoft, Coke, Bacardi, Honda, Ralph Lauren as well as sports tournaments like the World Billiard Championship, Asia cup and many more. She has also completed a very successful tour across 21 cities in the U.S.A and Canada hosting stage shows on India’s official entry to the Oscars- ‘Lagaan’ with extremely popular film stars like Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Anil Kapoor. She also hosts shows with celebrity acts like Shah Rukh Khan for ICICI. She hosted the prestigious Femina Miss India Pageant LIVE, the Filmfare awards red carpet as well as several film, business and economy award ceremonies in India and around the world.

Mini has also modelled for prestigious brand names such as Rayban, Hero Honda, Ultra doux shampoo, Freya skincare as well as big designers like Muzaffar ali, Rina Dhaka, JJ Vallaya, etc. She has been on the cover of several top of the line fashion magazines and has worked with photographers like Atul Kasbekar, Jatin Kampani, Dabboo Ratnani, Gautam Rajadhyaksha in the fashion business as well. Her ad campaigns include L’oreal hair color and she is the brand ambassador for Big Bazaar. Her endorsements include Surf excel matic, Oriflame, Pantene, Tata sky. She is currently the brand ambassador of Comfort.

Also known for her pleasant sense of style and her love for vibrantly coloured handloom sarees, Mini has been a trendsetter and has been applauded for her fashion choices.

Mini was nominated in 2006 for best anchor for ITA awards as well as Indian Telly Awards and has also won the best anchor award on Sony as well as the Lions awards 2006 for best TV presenter. She was also nominated for the Best TV presenter for the Indian Telly Awards. She recently walked away with the coveted Best anchor- media personality at Live Quotient Awards 2015.. an award that celebrates the best performers in the industry.

Mini is passionate about travel, food, lifestyle and adventure sports.. having travelled the globe SCUBA diving, river rafting, trekking, collecting artefacts & culinary pleasure seeking while filming her shows. She is currently working on a show that encapsulates these experiences. She is in the process of putting out a film script.

Mini Mathur resides in Mumbai with her husband, film director Kabir Khan (Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Phantom, Ek Tha Tiger, New York, Kabul Express) as well as her children Vivaan and Sairah.

FILMOGRAPHY

• Tol Mol Ke Bol (Zee TV) (Host)
• Hit Thi Hit Hai ( El TV) (Host)
• Hit Hit Hurray (Home TV) (Host)
• Tanaav (Zee TV) (Actor)
• Vakaalat (Zee TV) (Actor)
• Khoobsurat (Zee TV) (Host)
• Khwahish (Sony) (Actor)
• Indian Holiday (Sony) (Host)
• A Nation Celebrates (Producer)
• From Corner Shops to Lords (Producer)
• MTV (1999-2003) ( VJ)
• Bombay Blush (BBC2) (Host)
• Indian Idol Season 1 (Sony)(Host)
• Popkorn (Zoom TV ) (Host)
• Miss India Pageant (Host)
• Sirf  Ek Minute Mein (Sahara) (Host)
• POGO Amazing Kids Awards ( Host)
• Dil Vil Pyaar Vyaar (Film)(Actor)
• Indian Idol Season 2 (Sony) (Host)
• Indian Idol Season 3 (Sony) (Host)
• Indian Idol Rubaru (Sony)(Host)
• Jhalak Dikhlaja Season 2 (Celebrity Contestant)
• Yeh Shaam Mastaani (Sony)(Host)
• Iss Jungle se Mujhe Bachao (Sony) (Host)
• Wife Bina Life (Star plus) (Host)
• Parvarish (Zee TV)(Host & producer)
• Dynasty (Zoom TV) (Host)
• Sports Ka Superstar (Host)
• Indian Idol Season 6 (Sony) (Host)
• I, Me Aur Main (Film) (Actor)
• Dilli Dil Se (Aaj tak) (Host)
• Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 4/5 (Expert advice)
• Sunlight Living Challenge (Host)