Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; December 25, 2019)

Christmas is all about spreading cheer and spending time with the family. Every year, model-entrepreneur Malaika Arora makes it a point to bring in Christmas with her family and close friends. “I wait all year for this. I’m like a child who is very happy around this time,” says Malaika. “I plan my celebrations well in advance. I make notes about what my dinner table will look like and how I would like to decorate my tree and the house. I have to admit that this year has been extremely kind to me. It feels fitting to end the year on a high and what better way than doing it with your loved ones who matter to you,” she says.

This year, besides work, Malaika has been in a happy space in her personal life, too. Pictures of her holidaying with Arjun Kapoor made the rounds, and a few months ago, the couple confessed to their relationship for the first time.

When asked if Arjun will be a part of her Christmas celebrations, she says, “I am grateful for everything that has transpired in the year — personally and professionally. You often worry about how things will shape up. I am happy with the way my relationship has unfurled and my work has shaped up in the last year. This year, Christmas is special for so many wonderful reasons. And, of course, Arjun will be a part of the celebrations.”

Malaika’s mother Joyce puts together the Christmas menu every year. “I am in charge of desserts. My mother designs the menu and Amu (Amrita Arora Ladak) and I don’t have a say in it,” laughs Malaika, adding, “As children, Amu and I used to make sweets, which we don’t do now. We have a huge spread laid out on the table, which comprises traditional Christmas fare. Mom also includes dishes from different parts of the country, and some international, too. It’s like a world of food on the table, which is beautifully set by her.”

Malaika has fond childhood memories of her home being filled with cousins, uncles and aunts on Christmas day. “There would be 50-60 people at home, so imagine what the house looked like! Plus, we always had our friends and other guests coming over for the festival.

For me, Christmas has always been about getting together and spreading cheer. Everyone in my family can sing well, and they would display their skills on this day. It was also about exchanging gifts. As kids, we would put up the Christmas tree, and every year, one kid would get a chance to place the star on top of the tree. With the kind of lives we lead today, most of us don’t even get to see each other for the entire year. On this day, everyone makes an exception and gets together. If you ask me, an ideal gift that I would like to give my family would be to take them out for a holiday and enjoy a white Christmas together. We have never done that. That is my ultimate plan, and some year, I will do that for my mom.”

Like her mother, Malaika, too, has familiarised her son Arhaan with Christmas rituals. She says, “Every year, the night before Christmas, I tell him, ‘Arhaan, it’s 10 pm, we have to go for midnight mass, everyone’s waiting.’ And his response is, ‘Why can’t we go at 12?’ All said and done, we have to instill values in our kids and tell them what matters to the family. As long as they are young, you can do that. Once they are older, they barely listen. We have a large, secular family. Arhaan’s grandparents from both sides, his father (Arbaaz Khan) and I have familiarised him with our cultures and traditions. We have tried to bring him up as a secular child. Today, if anyone asks him what his religion is, he says, ‘Indian’. That makes me happy and proud as a parent. The colours of Christmas denote what the festival truly stands for. White for peace, red for love and green for abundance. Today, I pray that the world sees these colours for what they really stand.”

Every year, Malaika and Amrita, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Karisma Kapoor, and their mothers, Joyce and Babita, are seen attending midnight mass. For a long time now, the girls have brought in the festival together. When asked her about it, Malaika says, “My girl gang is very special. Every year, we attend the mass and then bring in Christmas together at Kareena’s house. The next day, we’re with our family. The reason our bond is so special is that we’ve all been brought up in a similar way, where our mothers have been the focal point of our lives. They’ve shaped us into what we are today.”