Malaika Arora Khan is a multi-talented Indian personality known for her work as an actor, dancer, TV reality-show judge, model, VJ, and TV presenter. With her captivating dance numbers in popular movies like ‘Dil Se..’ and ‘Dabangg,’ she has become a household name in the entertainment industry. Born and raised in Thane, Maharashtra, Malaika developed a passion for dance and modeling from a young age. Her career took off when her photo appeared in the magazine ‘Society,’ leading to modeling assignments and an opportunity to be an MTV VJ. She has hosted various shows for MTV and has appeared in notable ad campaigns. Malaika’s breakthrough came with the iconic dance number ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya,’ and she has since been a prominent celebrity judge on reality TV shows. While previously married to actor-producer Arbaaz Khan, she is currently in a relationship with actor Arjun Kapoor.
Quick Facts
- Indian Celebrities Born In October
- Also Known As: Malaika Arora Khan
- Age: 50 Years, 50 Year Old Females
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Arbaaz Khan (m. 1998 – div. 2017)
- Father: Anil Arora
- Mother: Joyce Polycarp
- Siblings: Amrita Arora
- Children: Arhaan Khan
- Born Country: India
- Models
- TV Presenters
- Height: 5’3″ (160 cm), 5’3″ Females
Childhood & Early Life
Malaika Arora was born on October 23, 1973, in Thane, a suburb of Mumbai, in Maharashtra, India. Her father, Anil Arora, is from Punjab and has worked for the ‘Merchant Navy,’ while her mother, Joyce Polycarp, is a Malyali Catholic from Kerala. She has a younger sister, Amrita Arora, who is also an actor. Arora began training in dance at the age of 4 and attended the all-girl school, ‘Holy Cross Convent High School,’ in Thane. Her parents divorced when she was 11 years old, and her mother moved to Borla Society in Chembur with her two daughters. Arora completed her schooling from ‘Swami Vivekanand School’ in Chembur and briefly attended ‘Jai Hind College’ in Churchgate before leaving to pursue work assignments.
Career
From a young age, Arora had a passion for being in front of the camera and aspired to be a model. At the age of 17, she caught the attention of photographer Suresh Natarajan, who took some pictures of her that were seen and liked by the editor of the magazine ‘Society,’ Suma Varghese. Arora made her modeling debut in the April 1993 issue of ‘Society’ and soon started receiving more modeling assignments. She has appeared in campaigns for brands such as ‘Mafatlal,’ ‘Tanishq,’ ‘Benzer,’ ‘Bare Necessities,’ ‘Pearl Pet,’ ‘Tribhuvandas Bhimji Zaveri,’ and ‘De Beers.’ Arora has also traveled to various countries for modeling shows.
In addition to her successful modeling career, Arora became an MTV VJ when ‘MTV’ was launched in India. She hosted the show ‘Club MTV’ and appeared on other ‘MTV’ shows such as ‘Love Line’ and ‘Style Check.’ Arora also ventured into acting, making cameo appearances in films such as ‘Maa Tujhhe Salaam,’ ‘Om Shanti Om,’ ‘Helloo India,’ ‘Housefull,’ and ‘Happy New Year.’ However, she is primarily known for her dance numbers in films, including ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ from ‘Dil Se..’ and ‘Munni Badnaam Hui’ from ‘Dabangg,’ which brought her immense fame and accolades.
Arora has also been a celebrity judge on various TV reality shows, particularly dance shows. She has judged shows like ‘Nach Baliye,’ ‘Zara Nachke Dikha,’ and ‘Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.’ Since 2012, she has been a judge on the reality show ‘India’s Got Talent’ and has been hosting and judging ‘India’s Next Top Model’ since 2017. Arora turned producer with the movie ‘Dabangg’ in 2010 and has co-produced other films such as ‘Dabangg 2’ and ‘Dolly Ki Doli.’
Family & Personal Life
In 1993, Arora met actor-producer Arbaaz Khan during an ad campaign. They got married on December 12, 1998, and have a son named Arhaan, born on November 9, 2002. However, the couple separated in March 2016 and divorced on May 11, 2017. Arora dropped the surname “Khan” after the divorce. She is currently in a relationship with actor Arjun Kapoor.