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Nikhil Chinapa Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth6 June 1973

Age51 Years

BirthplaceBangalore, Karnataka, India

ProfessionDisco Jockey, Radio Jockey, Video Jockey, Actor

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpousePearl Miglani

FamilyFather - Lt. Col. Bhemaiah Chinapa; Mother - Ganga Chinapa; Brother - Nitish Chinapa

Nikhil Chinapa Biography

Nikhil Chinapa is an Indian radio jockey, video jockey and music entrepreneur from Bangalore best known for his pioneering role in bringing electronicdance

Early life and background

Nikhil Chinapa was born Kalengada Bhemaiah Chinapa on 6 June 1973 in Bangalore, Karnataka. The son of Lt. Col. Bhemaiah Chinapa, a former Indian Army paratrooper, and Ganga Chinapa, he spent parts of his childhood moving between cities while his father served in the armed forces. Chinapa attended Begumpet's Hyderabad Public School and Faust High School in Secunderabad before studying at St. Joseph’s Boys’ High School in Bangalore. He went on to college at St. George's College, Agra and BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore, graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture.

Career

Chinapa began his on-screen career in the early 1990s, debuting on television with MTV Select in 1992. He established himself as a popular video jockey on MTV India and expanded into radio and television presenting. Over the years he hosted multiple seasons of MTV Splitsvilla, including solo stints on seasons 2, 4 and 5 and co-hosting duties on seasons 3, 6 and 7. His presenting credits also include reality formats such as India’s Got Talent and judging roles on MTV Roadies across several seasons, including Roadies Rising in 2017.

Alongside his broadcasting work, Chinapa has been active in India’s electronic dance music scene. He founded Submerge Music, a company noted for bringing prominent international DJs — including Above & Beyond, Swedish House Mafia, Alesso, Armin van Buuren, Zedd, Hardwell and Tiesto — to Indian audiences. He served as festival director for the Sunburn music festival in Goa, which has been described as one of Asia’s premier music festivals, before parting ways with Percept INC in 2013. His involvement in EDM and festival curation has made him a recognized figure among Indian electronic music fans.

Chinapa has also made occasional appearances in films. His screen credits include a debut feature in Snip! (2000) and small roles in Dus (2005), Zinda (2006) and Om Shanti Om (2007). He has worked on commercial collaborations as well, partnering with the online fashion brand Koovs.com in 2014.

Public profile

Physically, Chinapa is listed at approximately 175 cm (5'9") and 77 kg (170 lbs). He has dark brown eyes, black hair and is noted to have a tattoo of a magician’s head on his right shoulder. Favourite pastimes reported for him include gymming, travel, biking and adventure sports such as scuba diving and flyboarding. Food and leisure preferences attributed to him include dosas and idlis, a fondness for Goa and Thailand as travel destinations, and a liking for the restaurant Rosie Cafe in Vietnam. He has cited Rahul Dravid as a favourite cricketer and Akshay Kumar as a favourite actor.

Personal life

Chinapa is married to DJ Pearl Miglani; the pair wed in 2012 and have a daughter named Anouka Maia Chinapa. He is Indian by nationality and practices Hinduism. Family members listed include his brother Nitish Chinapa. He has been described as someone with a significant following among electronic dance music enthusiasts and is often credited as a pioneer for EDM in India.

Latest updates

In addition to his continued association with electronic music through Submerge, Chinapa hosted a weekly radio show called Together (TGTR) on Sunday nights for listeners on tgtr.in. His past role as festival director at Sunburn and ongoing presence in music events and broadcasting reflect an active career centered on promoting electronic music and youth entertainment in India.

Chinapa’s public career has occasionally drawn controversy; his early film Snip! (2000) attracted criticism for explicit content. He has also noted in interviews the lighthearted family expectation of finding a "real job," despite a long-running career in media and event curation.
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Recent Work

Submerge Music (founder and promoter)

Owner of a music company that brought major international DJs to India and played a key role in the Indian EDM scene.

MTV Splitsvilla (host)

Hosted multiple seasons of the reality series, including solo and co-hosting roles.

Sunburn (festival director, former)

Served as festival director for the Goa-based music festival before parting with Percept INC in 2013.

2013
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Career Highlights

  1. Debuted on TV with MTV Select (1992)
  2. Founder of Submerge Music, instrumental in bringing major international DJs to India
  3. Hosted multiple seasons of MTV Splitsvilla
  4. Served as festival director for Sunburn festival in Goa
  5. Judged MTV Roadies across several seasons
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Nikhil Chinapa born?

6 June 1973

What is Nikhil Chinapa known for?

Disco Jockey, Radio Jockey, Video Jockey, Actor

What is Nikhil Chinapa’s marital status?

Married

Who is Nikhil Chinapa married to?

Pearl Miglani