Nikki Tamboli is an Indian actress, model and reality TV star from Aurangabad, best known for Bigg Boss 14, Bigg Boss Marathi 5 and her Telugu and Tamil films.
Some stars walk into a room quietly. Nikki walks in with a flip of her hair and a one-liner. That is why fans love her, argue about her and keep searching for her.
Since her 2019 film debut, Nikki Tamboli has jumped between Telugu cinema, Hindi reality TV, a Marathi Bigg Boss season and a cooking show. In 2026, she was in the news for a fitness reality show, a high-drama competition and breakup rumours. So the questions pile up. How old is she? Who slapped her in Bigg Boss? Is she married? What is her workout?
Quick Facts Table
| Detail | What Reports Say |
|---|---|
| Name | Nikki Tamboli (born Nikita Tamboli) |
| Profession | Actress, model, reality TV star |
| Age | 30 in October 2026 |
| Date of birth | 21 August 1996 |
| Birthplace | Aurangabad, Maharashtra (one site says Mumbai) |
| Family | Parents, late brother, Marathi roots |
| Brother | Jatin Tamboli, passed away in 2021 |
| Religion | Reports differ, most say Hindu |
| Husband | None, she is unmarried |
| Boyfriend | Arbaz Patel (breakup rumours, unconfirmed) |
| Bigg Boss seasons | Bigg Boss 14 and Bigg Boss Marathi 5 |
| Slapped in Bigg Boss by | Aarya Jadhao, Bigg Boss Marathi 5 |
| Movies | Chikati Gadilo Chithakotudu, Kanchana 3 and more |
| TV shows | Bigg Boss, Khatron Ke Khiladi 11, MasterChef, The 50 |
| Battleground | Mentor of Team Lootere, Season 2, 2026 |
| About 6.3 million followers (August 2026 estimate) | |
| Fitness | Gym, yoga, home food habits |
Who Is Nikki Tamboli?
Here is the short answer. Nikki is a model-turned-actress born in a Marathi family in Aurangabad, a city now often called Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Reports say her father, Digambar Tamboli, worked at Exide Industries, and her mother, Pramila, is a homemaker.
She studied acting in Mumbai and reportedly earned a degree from Kishinchand Chellaram College. She began as a model and did commercials before her Telugu debut. Then Bigg Boss 14 turned her into a household name. Today she is one of those rare faces who works across Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and Marathi screens.
Nikki’s Age and Birth Date
Let us settle the number. Most sources give her date of birth as 21 August 1996. That makes her 30 years old in October 2026, since her 30th birthday passed in August 2026.
Some pages still show 29, because they were written earlier in the year or use an older update. She is a Leo. As for the birthplace, Wikipedia says Aurangabad, while one film site lists Mumbai. Aurangabad is the safer answer. When you check her age on any page, look at the date it was written.
| Claim | Detail | How Strong? |
|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 21 August 1996 | High |
| Age in October 2026 | 30 | High |
| Birthplace Aurangabad | Most sources | Medium-high |
| Birthplace Mumbai | One film site | Low |
Nikki’s Family: Parents and Roots
Her family is a Marathi family from Aurangabad. Reports describe it as middle-class and close. Her parents even visited her inside the Bigg Boss Marathi 5 house, according to Wikipedia’s season page. She has no sister, and her family often shows up in her posts on special days.
Her Brother
Her brother, Jatin Tamboli, passed away in 2021 due to COVID-19. This is the saddest chapter in her story. Reports say he was her elder brother, though one site calls him younger, so sources differ. Wikipedia and a 2024 NDTV report on the third anniversary place his death in 2021.
She has posted loving tributes on his death anniversary every year. When fans ask about her brother, the kind answer is this: he was a deeply loved part of the family, and she still misses him. Please treat the topic with care.
Nikki’s Religion
Many people search for her religion, and here sources do not agree. Several biography sites say she is Hindu and from a Marathi family. A few others list Christianity. She has not clarified this in any interview I found.
So the fair answer is that reports differ, and most recent pages say Hindu. Faith is personal, and it has nothing to do with her talent or her shows. If you write about it, say that sources differ.
In Which Bigg Boss Season Was Nikki?
Fans often ask which Bigg Boss season she was in. The short answer is two main seasons.
| Show | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Bigg Boss 14 (Hindi) | 2020 to 2021 | 2nd runner-up |
| Bigg Boss Marathi 5 | 2024 | 2nd runner-up |
Bigg Boss 14: The Breakthrough
In Bigg Boss 14, hosted by Salman Khan, she became known for her style, her fights and her bonds with Rahul Vaidya and Rubina Dilaik. Rubina won the season, and Nikki finished as second runner-up. She also clashed with Rakhi Sawant, and those fights went viral.
Bigg Boss Marathi 5: The Comeback
Three years later, she returned in Bigg Boss Marathi 5, hosted by Riteish Deshmukh. She locked horns with senior actress Varsha Usgaonkar early on, and a host’s lecture made her apologise on national television. Bigg Boss also barred her from becoming captain for the rest of the season as a punishment. Still, she reached the finale, and Wikipedia says she was the highest-paid contestant of the season. That is also where she met Arbaz Patel.
Who Slapped Nikki in Bigg Boss?
This is one of the biggest moments of her career. The person who slapped her was Aarya Jadhao, a co-contestant on Bigg Boss Marathi 5.
Here is what happened:
- The incident happened during a captaincy task in the 13 September 2024 episode.
- Nikki and Aarya argued at a doorway, started pushing and Aarya slapped her.
- Nikki came out and told the cameras that she had been hit. Arbaz Patel backed her, saying the same.
- Bigg Boss cancelled the task, and on Day 46 gave Aarya a jail punishment for the slap.
TV Shows With Nikki
Here is a simple list of her TV work, in the order it happened.
| Year | Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 to 2021 | Bigg Boss 14 | Contestant, 2nd runner-up |
| 2021 | Khatron Ke Khiladi 11 | Contestant |
| 2022 | The Khatra Khatra Show | Guest appearance |
| 2024 | Bigg Boss Marathi 5 | Contestant, 2nd runner-up |
| 2025 | Celebrity MasterChef India | Contestant, 1st runner-up |
| 2026 | The 50 | Contestant |
| 2026 | Battleground Season 2 | Challenging mentor |
Nikki’s Cast: Who She Worked With
Fans also search for her cast to see who shared screens with her. Here are the key names from her main shows.
- Bigg Boss 14: Rubina Dilaik, Rahul Vaidya, Rakhi Sawant, Aly Goni and Jasmin Bhasin.
- Bigg Boss Marathi 5: Arbaz Patel, Aarya Jadhao, Varsha Usgaonkar and host Riteish Deshmukh.
- The 50: Arbaz Patel, Shiv Thakare and Prince Narula, hosted by Farah Khan.
- Khatron Ke Khiladi 11: Vishal Aditya Singh and Varun Sood.
Nikki’s Movies
Her movie list is short but spans languages. According to reports:
| Year | Film | Language | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Chikati Gadilo Chithakotudu | Telugu | Debut film |
| 2019 | Kanchana 3 | Tamil | Supporting role |
| 2019 | Thippara Meesam | Telugu | Film role, per some lists |
| 2023 | Jogira Sara Ra Ra | Hindi | Item song appearance |
Nikki and Battleground
In April 2026, she joined Battleground Season 2 as a “challenging mentor.” This is a fitness reality show on Amazon MX Player, made by Rusk Media. She leads a new team called Team Lootere, also reported as Team Telugu Tigers.
She said she was not there to follow the old rhythm of the game and wanted to disrupt it. Fans took it as a sign that she is leaning into fitness content after The 50. Remember that this Battleground is a fitness game show, not the war game BGMI.
Nikki’s Boyfriend: The Arbaz Patel Story
Her boyfriend is Arbaz Patel, her co-contestant from Bigg Boss Marathi 5. They met in the house in 2024 and, reports say, she called it love at first sight. They confirmed the relationship on Instagram in October 2024.
In January 2026, she denied dating rumours with singer Jaan Kumar Sanu. She and Arbaz then entered The 50 together, and a Bollywood Hungama report says she accepted his proposal on the show. Early in 2026, Arbaz was evicted after a fight involving Shiv Thakare and Prince Narula, which left Nikki in tears. The show was won by Shiv Thakare.
Then came August 2026. Reports say she unfollowed Arbaz on Instagram and shared a cryptic post, while he also posted one. As of late August 2026, neither confirmed a breakup. So the best answer is that Arbaz Patel is her reported boyfriend, but the status is unclear.
Nikki’s Husband
Short and clear: she is not married. Biography pages list no husband and no wedding date. Despite the proposal story on The 50, there is no verified report of a wedding.
If any page claims a husband or a wedding date, treat it as a rumor until she confirms it herself.
Nikki’s Instagram
Her social media following is huge. An analytics page listed about 6.3 million followers as of August 2026, up from around 5.3 million in an older report. Her average post gets roughly 84,000 likes, with an engagement rate of about 1.3 percent.
| Item | Reported Figure |
|---|---|
| Followers (older report) | About 5.3 million |
| Followers (August 2026) | About 6.3 million |
| Average likes per post | About 84,000 |
| Engagement rate | About 1.3 percent |
Nikki’s Fitness Workout Routine and Exercises
Fans love asking about her workout. She has not published one fixed plan. But in interviews, she said fitness is like oxygen for her and gives her peace of mind. Here are the habits she has talked about:
- She goes to the gym and does yoga, even on busy days.
- She prefers 5 to 6 small meals instead of 3 big ones.
- She carries home-made food and fresh juice when she travels.
- She keeps junk food away and drinks green tea before bed.
- She moisturizes morning and night as part of skincare.
Here is a simple weekly plan in the same spirit. This is a general plan and not her private schedule.
| Day | Focus | Easy Exercises |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Legs | Squats, lunges, glute bridges |
| Tuesday | Upper body | Push-ups, rows, shoulder press |
| Wednesday | Yoga | Sun salutation, cobra, child’s pose |
| Thursday | Core | Planks, leg raises, crunches |
| Friday | Full body | Deadlifts, kettlebell swings, jumping jacks |
| Saturday | Cardio | Brisk walk, cycling, skipping rope |
| Sunday | Rest | Light stretching |
Conclusion
Here is the story in short. Nikki moved from modeling to Telugu and Tamil films, then became a Bigg Boss star. She is 30 in October 2026. Her family is a Marathi family from Aurangabad, and her brother Jatin passed away in 2021. On religion, reports differ.
She appeared in Bigg Boss 14 and Bigg Boss Marathi 5. Aarya Jadhao is the one who slapped her on the Marathi show. Her list of TV shows keeps growing, her cast changes with every show, and her movie list is short but varied.
Her 2026 included the Battleground mentor role and The 50. Arbaz Patel is her reported boyfriend, though rumours of a split are unconfirmed, and she has no husband at this time. Her Instagram page reached about 6.3 million followers, and her fitness talk is all about steady habits.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Nikki Tamboli?
She is an Indian actress and reality TV star born in Aurangabad. She is known for Bigg Boss 14, Bigg Boss Marathi 5, and Telugu and Tamil films.
2. What is Nikki Tamboli’s age?
She is 30 years old in October 2026, based on her birth date of 21 August 1996.
3. In which Bigg Boss seasons did Nikki Tamboli participate?
She participated in Bigg Boss 14 (Hindi) and Bigg Boss Marathi 5, finishing as the second runner-up in both seasons.
4. Who slapped Nikki Tamboli in Bigg Boss?
Aarya Jadhao slapped Nikki Tamboli during a captaincy task in Bigg Boss Marathi 5 in September 2024.
5. Who is Nikki Tamboli’s boyfriend?
Reports have linked Nikki Tamboli with Arbaz Patel, whom she met on Bigg Boss Marathi 5. Breakup rumours emerged in August 2026, but neither a breakup nor their current relationship status is confirmed.
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