Managing her personal and professional life like a pro, Malaika Arora is handling things the right way. Be it her lovey-dovey relationship with boyfriend Arjun Kapoor or managing her clothing brand and son Arhaan at home, Malla knows how to juggle perfectly between things like a boss. The actress recently sat down for an interview with a leading daily and spoke her heart out about her love life, personal decisions and how she has found love once again.
When asked about her relationship with Arjun and how things blew out with wedding rumours, Malaika said, "There’s a reason why some things are private. What’s for public consumption is out there. I’ve always been a private person and that doesn’t change. Yes, a lot has transpired in the last one year. A lot of people are involved in Arjun and my lives — families, friends and kids. You have to be sensitive about them, because you love and care for them. We both are sensitive people and aware of everyone around us. Nothing has been planned or made into an agenda. So far, things have unfurled organically. Yes, we have spoken about things and discussed them. Life has transitioned into a beautiful and happy space."
To answer what attracted the actress the most about Arjun, she said, "It’s very difficult to find someone who understands you. Arjun understands me. He makes me smile and laugh and he knows me inside out. I guess that just makes everything work."
When asked about people judging her because she parted ways with Arbaaz Khan, the actress said, "I don’t usually pay attention to trolls because if I do that, I will live a sad, pathetic and toxic life. But this is about the larger society we live in. When a man moves on, it’s fine, but a woman moving on is sacrilege. Why? A man dating a younger woman makes him a dude. But if a woman dates a younger man, people say, ‘What the hell is she thinking’. This kind of disparity has been there forever. It’s sad and I hope that this changes. A lot is changing, but it will take a while for us to get there. It’s bad that the most shocking and nasty comments are made by women towards other women. You would think that men are the ones to make sexist remarks, but what do you say to a woman who pulls other women down? Remarks about how I’m a bad mother, why I am in a relationship with someone younger, and the work that I do… have often been made in the past. If women do not support and uplift each other, how will we ever stop looking over our shoulder and change the world’s mindset towards us?"
About a year ago, when Priyanka Chopra made her relationship with Nick Jonas official, she faced similar kind of bias, trolls and negativity on social media. To this Malaika said, "I remember that. The couple has just turned it all around and silenced all the wagging tongues. But why did those tongues even wag? It’s unfair to judge relationships. Can’t a woman find love in a man younger than her? If someone makes you happy and enriches your life, what’s the harm? I am 45 and that doesn’t make me dead or someone who’s over the hill. I enjoy my life and feel happy about having such a special equation with a man younger than me. You have to forget the barriers and nurture relationships."
When asked if she thinks people on social media find just about any reason to troll her… be it for being a single parent, her work or her relationship status, she said, "I don’t listen to what people have to say about me. I just care for what my son, my family, my partner and my friends think. I was working, and taking care of Arhaan then, and I am doing that even now. The only difference is that, back then, I was married, and now I am not. What is the hoopla all about? It’s great for people who have had long-standing marriages. But I look at things differently. Something didn’t work out, but now I have a second chance at love and companionship. Second chances are hard to come by and the most amazing opportunities in life. So, why shouldn’t I or millions of other women like me take that chance? Having a relationship doesn’t change anything for me as a parent. I’m still my son’s concierge service for everything like every mother is. How am I any less of a mother then? In fact, as a single parent, you tend to overcompensate to ensure the kid doesn’t feel an absence in his life. Arbaaz and I have parted as a couple, but we make sure nothing affects our son. It’s a lot better this way. For the rest, time is the best healer."
(Source: Bombay Times)
