My son goes to church, mosque, and temple: Malaika Arora on her secular family
Bollywood diva Malaika Arora has been in the Bollywood industry for three decades now. Popular for her shaking a leg in dance numbers including Rangeelo Maro Dholna and Chaiyya Chaiyya, the star has made a notable mark in the entertainment industry. From her personal to professional life, Arora recently spilled the beans in an interview with Masala! magazine.
Speaking about what made it possible for her to stay relevant in Indian cinema even after 30 long years, she said, “Hard work, reinvention, persistence, punctuality and a certain amount of intrigue and mystery. And of course, without a doubt people along the way who have been my cheerleaders, who have gone out of their way to support me. Whether they are photographers, media people or my family, there has been a great support system. I have had people who were there for me and have always stood by me.”
According to Arora, women in India come with a certain shelf life, with marriage, children and domestic responsibilities taking over their career aspirations. “But I think somewhere along the way, I have managed to push the envelope and I think I’ve managed to change that perception. Three decades later, here I am!”
An icon for women who believed that careers ended at 40, the actor weighed in on the secret to her enthusiasm and never-say-no attitude. “As I said, maybe if I was ever in that position where I had felt that oh, I have had enough, I’m married, time to hang up my boots but I don’t think I was ever in that situation. I was always someone who wanted to keep on working. I think it’s because I come from that mindset or that background where it was very important for us women to be independent. That’s just something my mother has always said.”
She then went on to say that her childhood was not easy. From the financial setbacks that came with belonging to a mediocre working-class family, it was ingrained in her mind that she needed to work for myself and work till the very end. “I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth and I did not come from a background I could rely on. Money was not just flowing. Hence, it was very important that I stood on my two feet and became financially secure. Even when I got married, I couldn’t give up everything and relied on my husband’s money to take care of my needs. I had a very lovely family setup where everyone was very encouraging when it came to my continued work,” shared Arora.
Not many know that Arora was raised as a Catholic. “My dad is Punjabi and my mother is Malayali Catholic. My maternal side was such a strong influence in our lives that both my sister and I were baptized. So, we just followed that faith and were Catholic. Thankfully, we live in such a secular family; I was married to a Muslim [Arbaaz Khan], so you know we have all sorts of faiths in our family. My son was brought up in a space where he was free to choose. He told me, ‘Mom, I’m Indian first’. So, we left it entirely to him. My son is also baptised, he goes to a church, he goes to a mosque, and he goes to a temple. We’re a very secular family.”
There is no denying that Arora has one of the most chiseled and toned physiques in Bollywood. And she works hard for it every day!
“I take great pride in taking care of myself and I think everyone should! You should love yourself first before anything or anyone. When I say love yourself, I think a large part of it has to do with physical, emotional and mental maintenance. All three of them need to be nurtured. You can’t just take care of how you look physically and forget about your mental quotient. I think all of them go hand in hand. So, I eat right, I take care of myself, I work out, I meditate, I do yoga, I read a lot of things and I surround myself with people who enhance my life. It’s equally important.”
The actor is currently in a relationship with Bollywood heartthrob Arjun Kapoor. Speaking about the same, Arora concluded, “I think the constitution of marriage is beautiful. At the same time, I don’t think you should rush into getting married because it is a social requirement or pressure.