The unfiltered truth about Malaika Arora’s approach to age, beauty, and self-acceptance

If there is one thing I’ve learned about Malaika Arora—and I can say this with absolute certainty—it’s that she uses the phrase, “I’m not going to be apologetic about it”, far too often, and truly means it. In fact, had someone read my interview transcript, they would confirm she says that at the end of every other response. That’s how unabashed she is about her approach to life and self-acceptance. And she encourages all women to do the same—take up space and be their authentic selves.

A GIRL’S GIRL, ALL THE WAY

“Over the years, our perception of women in terms of looks, stardom, and their success has changed,” says Arora. Whether it is Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus, or Sydney Sweeney, Arora feels that our gaze has shifted. “The ‘Top 10 Most Influential People’ lists are certainly changing. Women like Taylor (Swift) are making money, packing stadiums, and affecting economies, all at such a young age. When I was their age, I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do. It’s amazing to see women up there, owning it and not being apologetic about it.”

Arora is an out-and-out girl’s girl. Every few weeks, a photo-op of her gang, which includes her sister Amrita Arora, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Karisma Kapoor, stirs conversation around ‘can women truly be friends with other women’. The answer is a big yes, and she reaffirms that. She values her support system, her girls, and her safe space more than anything else.

Arora is of the belief that a woman is no longer benchmarked by how toned her abs are, or the fact that she looks younger than her age. It is her ability to draw an audience, stay relevant at every age, take care of herself, and pour into her passions that define her well-being. She aligns with the current zeitgeist of audiences seeking icons in various forms of women. Whether it is a creator like Nara Smith, who is idolised for her aesthetic homemaking content, or a serial entrepreneur like Kim Kardashian with 361 million followers on Instagram, or parliamentarian Mahua Moitra, known for her fiery speeches in the Lok Sabha but with her Louis Vuitton intact, or Meghan Markle, who is redefining the story for royal women with a Lady Dior in tow, there is no set definition of what an iconic woman should act, dress, look, or be like. It’s about what she wants to be. 

Arora belongs to the league of women who make headlines for everything they do. From taking her puppy for a walk in the bylanes of Bandra and getting a blow-dry at a salon, to reportedly dating a younger man, and co-parenting Arhaan Khan after her divorce with actor Arbaaz Khan in 2017—her life has been a whirlwind of glamour, growth, and reinvention.

“The other day, my son told me that his friends are confused about what exactly I do. They’re like… ‘So she’s done films, songs, she has been a VJ, a model, she’s on TV.’ For a child, even they get confused. But why do I need to pander to what exactly I do? I do what makes me feel good,” she says.

In a recent stand-up gig that she performed for her show on Disney+ Hotstar, Moving in with Malaika, Arora said something that stayed with me: “People are obsessed with my age. Not because I’m old. But because I look like this while I’m ageing.” 

ON A POSITIVE NOTE

“When someone says, ‘You look amazing at 48,’ it feels fantastic. I don’t think people mean it in a derogatory way. It’s a compliment. At 48, if I can look the way I do, it’s due to my hard work, dedication, and focus, which is paying off,” she says. She doesn’t take any aspect of her life lightly; she claims it is an everyday commitment to herself. “It feels great when someone asks, ‘What do you do to stay like that?’”

And my next question is exactly that—what does she do to look like a zillion bucks? “Oh, I do all of it,” she adds, cheekily. I’ve always equated Arora with Pinterest’s “It Girl”. On cue, she’s into gua sha massages, cupping, and yoga. “I love my headstands,” she mentions. She also takes turmeric, spirulina, or matcha shots daily, and is into a South American wood therapy called Madero (Spanish for wood) or maderoterapia—a technique that specialises in lymphatic drainage. “It involves a wooden stick (like the belan [rolling pin] you find in Indian homes), which is used to break down cellulite and tension in your body,” she explains. “Like any other woman, I have cellulite, stretch marks, weight fluctuations, and hormonal issues. I indulge myself and on good days I prefer to focus on wellness and just keep doing my best.”

On Instagram, you can see her performing rod yoga using a wooden stick and while on the set of our cover shoot, Arora played with a steel rod and gave a dancer-meets yogini vibe. 

Self-affirmation is another of Arora’s wellness mantras. “Sometimes when I find something nasty written about me, I’ll admit, it messes up my day, but I’m getting better at blocking out the noise,” she says. This includes reminding herself every day about things that she’s good at. “I work a lot on keeping myself the way I am—mentally strong and being able to reinvent myself—by practising yoga and meditation, doing my retreats, eating, and sleeping on time.” With her social engagements, reality show appearances, shoots, fashion weeks, and award nights, she is aware that being “out there” is a big part of the celebrity treaty that she signed at 21, when she made her debut with the popular music video ‘Gur Nalon Ishq Mitha’ followed by ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ in Mani Ratnam’s Dil Se (1998).

For over two decades, equilibrium is what has kept her going. “If I can skip a party that I don’t need to be at, I would not deprive myself of a good night’s sleep. I prefer that over waking up tired the next day, and I won’t be apologetic about it,” she concludes.

For me, Arora’s journey is proof that embracing your true self is a powerful trait. Her commitment to body positivity and self-care proves that self-love is enough to reinvent beauty and body standards. And she continues to inspire others with a simple message: own your space, be unapologetically you.

Editor: Rasna Bhasin (@rasnabhasin)

Digital Editor and Interview: Sonal Ved (@sonalved)

Photographer: Nishanth Radhakrishnan (@nishanth.radhakrishnan), Feat. Artists (@featartists)

Stylist: Samar Rajput (@samar.rajput05)

Cover Design: Mandeep Khokhar (@mandy_khokhar19)

Editorial Coordinator: Shalini Kanojia (@shalinikanojia)

Hair Artist: Hrishikesh Naskar (@hrishidoeshair)

Make-up Artist: Sandhya Shekar (@sandhyashekar)

Assistant Stylist: First assistant, Rupangi Grover (@rupangigrover); Second assistants: Nida Shaikh and Michelle Lobo

Production Assistant: Riya Kala (@riya_kala)

Location Courtesy: æquō Gallery (@_aequo_)

Malaika is wearing a t-shirt and hot pants, 20 Future (@20future); jacket, Moonray (@studiomoonray); pumps, Gucci (@gucci); earrings, Moksh Jewellery (@jewelsbyMoksh).