Popular Bollywood duo Arjun Kapoor and Malaika Arora are head over heels for each other and their social media posts are proof of just that. The actors made their relationship Insta official in 2019 after keeping everything under wraps for a long time. However, they still kept mum about their love life with the media – until now.
In a first, Arjun, 36, has opened up about his bond with Malaika, 48, on Valentine’s Day in a conversation with the Hindustan Times. He detailed how they’ve evolved as a couple and what it takes to stand by his ladylove amidst the negativity on social media.
Asked if it’s been a difficult road, Arjun reflected, “I made peace with the fact that once you come out, you’re going to be out there for people to see and judge. You’ve to allow a bit of breathing room for people to understand and absorb. I never thought of it as difficult, I just knew that it takes time. You to hold your silence and dignity to make people understand that something is just too precious for you.”
The Two States actor went on to reveal that the decision to come out was not on the cards. “It happened organically.” He said, “As a man, I had to give Malaika space and respect her decisions on whether she wants to make things public or give it more time. We knew we had to do it at some point.”
He shared how anyone in a ‘secret relationship’ eventually grows tired of thinking so much about the consequences of getting caught, that at some point, they just allow things to reveal themselves. “That’s what happened with us. We allowed things to happen when we felt we were solid enough to face all the speculation, the conversation that would [follow]. Because the gossip would be temporary and what we feel for each other would eventually be seen by the people who care about us.”
Arjun maintained that his and Malaika’s relationship dynamic is only unique to people who have a slightly traditional outlook to love. And when praised for standing by Malaika ‘like a rock’, Arjun resorted, “I’ve stood by her and, she has stood by me.” Sharing all the things they’ve had to stand by each other against, Arjun recalled “facing speculation, brickbats, chatter, unnecessary at times because of social media toxicity. It was hell for us for many days. She [Malaika] had to face so much but I admire her for giving me and our relationship so much dignity. Standing by her never felt like it’s something extraordinary. It felt like the most natural thing to do.”
However, the celebrities are happy to be among the first B-town couples to show “age is of no significance when you love someone.” And at the same time, “I think we did it in the most decent manner. We see a lot of couples now being a little more open and less worried about speculations. Seeing how we put that fear and anxiety aside encouraged others to do the same.”
Albeit, the Bhoot Police actor has been through ‘worse’ but learnt from it all. “I’ve seen my parents split up, lost my mom. I’ve had to go through seeing the upheaval of my father losing out on a loved one – his wife Sridevi. You realise life is very fickle, temporary, and only love is permanent. Sometimes, you don’t have to make the grandest gestures and the loudest noises. You can actually be silent and still stand up for something or someone.”
Now, Arjun has come to the conclusion that “there’s so much relevance to Malaika and my relationship that everybody wants to have a say, have an opinion. And you can only take that as a compliment that everyone likes talking about us!”
In an attempt to define Malaika in one sentence, Arjun also shed light on her presence inspiring a change in him. “How do I define Malaika in a sentence?” he inquired rather perplexed. “Very difficult. Malaika has changed me as a person by allowing me to believe in myself even more. I’ve always been someone who believes in his self but she helped me do that even in my weakest moments. If I’ve to describe my relationship with Malaika — we’re friends, we can talk about everything, we confide in each other about a lot of things that have allowed us to make decisions — big and small ones. And I think friendship is the key for any relationship to last.”
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