New Delhi: Actress Malaika Arora has always broken stereotypes and lived life on her own terms. From not shying away from getting married and having a baby at a young age, to continuing working after embracing marriage and motherhood, Malaika has been an example.When things awry in her marriage, Malaika gathered courage and fought stigmas and filed for a divorce with husband Arbaaz Khan. However, divorcing her husband of 19 years was not an easy decision for Malla. Arbaaz and Malaika separated in 2016 and their divorce came through in 2017. The couple is parents to son Arhaan Khan.
Opening up about that phase of her life, Malaika said it was very hard and she was scared. But she wanted to be a good example for her son Arhaan when she decided to be a single mother. Malaika further emphasised that it was important for her to be a ‘working’ single mother.
“When I took that decision or that step to be a single mother, I didn’t (pause). At that point, you always feel that the whole world is crashing on your head and how you gonna manage I think that’s a very normal human reaction. But having said that I also knew that it is something I have to take on. I have to be responsible. I have a son, he is growing up, he needs me more than ever. I have to be that right example. I have to be able to steer him in the right direction and at the same time let him make his own mistakes,” Malaika told Pinkvilla.
She further added, “Yes, I did feel scared, vulnerable, frightened, all of those emotions. But I also felt that I had to take one day at a time. I couldn’t take giant leaps because that is just not possible. I had to see what every day would unfold for me. At that point, the only thinking about I needs to be, not if I am a single mother but I need to be a working single mother. For me, that was more important.”
Malaika and Arbaaz often come together for their son Arhaan. Malaika has also been working throughout. She has featured as a judge on several television reality shows including India’s Best Dancer and India’s Next Top Model. The actress is also a co-founder of Yoga Studio ‘Sarva’.
