‘WHY ARE WOMEN CONSTANTLY ASKED TO JUSTIFY HOW THEY LOOK, WHILE MEN AREN’T?’

Actor-entrepreneur Malaika Arora on shutting down age stereotypes and why men are rarely questioned about their appearance
Sonal Kalra (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 2, 2026)

Fitness goals, fashion goals… You name any benchmark in showbiz, and chances are Malaika Arora has already achieved it. As the actor approaches three decades in the industry, she continues to remain relevant. This week on The Right Angle with Sonal Kalra, Malaika opens up about why she chose not to pursue full-fledged acting roles, her entrepreneurial journey, and her close-knit girl gang. Excerpts:

Looking the way you have for decades, we are sure there’s a lot of happiness and joy around it. But are there moments when you sit by yourself, and a fear creeps in that age might catch up and things could be different?
Now that’s a double-edged sword. There are days when it does cross my mind, when I do wonder or question the obvious. And then there are days when I don’t. Ultimately, I don’t care because I am doing what I love and I feel like I am in my prime. I am hungry and want to do so much, so it doesn’t really affect me. I feel women are constantly asked questions like, ‘At your prime, you were like this, and now you are at this age, how does it feel? Do you still feel beautiful or desirable?’ Very rarely is a man asked such a question. Women are always subjected to this test of looking a certain way, and we have to constantly justify how we look. People often go, ‘Oh my God, at this age she looks so amazing. Oh my God, at this age she’s so fit.’ Why? I was like this then, I am like this now, and I’ll be like this 20 years hence, because I feel good. As women, we have got to wear that on our sleeves as a badge and enjoy it, and not feel threatened or pressured by what society has to say.

At the end of the day, it’s not just the physical appearance. Yes, that’s what the world sees, but I feel you have to balance it out with how you are feeling mentally and emotionally. What is it that drives you? What is it that pushes you out of bed every single day and makes you go, ‘Go out there and seize the day?’ It’s not that every time I look in the mirror, I am thinking, ‘Oh, wow, I look good.’ I just have to wake up every day and say, ‘Today is a new day, and I want to make the most of it, and build some sort of legacy that I, my child, and family are proud of.’

How does it feel to spend nearly 30 years in the industry? What’s the journey been like?
It has been ‘wow’. That’s exactly how I would say it. For me, it’s been like a Hindi movie for over 30 years. There’s been a little bit of everything — fun, sadness, highs, lows, heartbreak, love, personal upheavals, and professional highs. One has experienced a little of all in these 30 years of being in the business, and it’s been amazing. I have loved every moment and look forward to the next 30 years.

Why would you not consider doing a full-fledged lead role all these years?
I think I am different. I didn’t want to do what everybody is doing; I didn’t want to be put into a box. Somewhere, I just felt maybe I needed to pivot and do something different. I was very lucky to get some amazing offers. People kept asking me why was I not doing them, but I was never really drawn or attracted to it. But I have always said ‘never say never’. Maybe one day I just might turn around and say, ‘I want to do this. Maybe this is my calling.’ Somewhere, I was happy doing what I did. Back then, I wasn’t sure I had the bandwidth to carry an entire film, and being part of something impactful felt amazing. Maybe a part of me chose the easier path, but over time, I realized this is what I truly enjoyed.

You call your life a Bollywood film and handle tough moments with humour. How do you do it?
I would like to say I have the last laugh. People may have an opinion, or they may want to ridicule or pull you down about something. But with all the good, there comes bad. There’s so much love and appreciation, which balances things out. At the end of the day, I am the one who sits and has the last laugh.

You’ve worn many hats — from entrepreneur to running a restaurant, now joined by your son, Arhaan Khan. What drives you to keep pushing as a businesswoman?
Well, I could just sit back and say, ‘I’ve had fun, I’ve been blessed to have that kind of career, and I am financially secure, so I don’t need to do anything beyond that.’ I could put my feet up and say that’s that, but I am not that person. I am greedy and hungry when it comes to work and opportunities. I feel all these opportunities have been given to me, and it is important for me to make the most of it. At some point, I didn’t realize that this was the path I was going to go down. I realized, why not throw myself into the deep end? Right from my first venture in collaboration for fashion, and now, a lot has happened. Each one has been a stepping stone.

Out of all the qualities you have, which one do you think your son has inherited the most?
I think it’s his sense of discipline and work ethic. When it comes to the way he leads his life, he’s very disciplined, he’s conscious and has a certain work ethic — always be on time and do things, which I think he’s got from me.

You receive a lot of love on social media, but it’s also a mixed space where people say whatever they want. Does that affect you in any way?
I have said this dozens of times: you don’t just take it with a pinch of salt, take it with a handful of salt. It is a platform. You are there, and it’s very simple. Either you choose to stay away from it, or you strike a balance. For me, I keep things out that I don’t need to engage with. I use social media purely as something that is good in terms of our work. At the same time, you use it in the right proportion, where you put out however much you want, and people get that much glimpse into your life. Enjoy it, have fun with it, and leave it at that. Don’t take it too seriously or get too bogged down by it. Don’t let it govern your life. You have to draw these lines somewhere, and then you are good.

Your girl gang (Amrita Arora Ladak, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Karisma Kapoor) also gets talked about a lot. In a hypothetical crisis situation, who would you call first?
Family, goes without saying. The girls that we hang out with, they are a phone call away, literally. They are a call away, and I know they will all be there. We stand up for each other and are each other’s support system. There are days where we don’t even connect; we may not talk, but we’ll always be there for each other.

Which actor from the current crop do you admire or really enjoy watching on screen?
I’ve grown up on a staple of Amitabh Bachchan’s films. I have loved his films during my growing-up years, and we keep watching them over and over again. Then, of course, I have always been a Shah Rukh Khan fan. I love his cinema. As you go along, there are so many others who do amazing work and are brilliant actors. But these are the ones I have always been a fan of.

What advice would you give to the people who sometimes feel low?
Being resilient or being able to build a solid inside (inner self) takes a while; it doesn’t happen overnight. There are numerous instances that push you against the wall, where you feel there is no way out. But then you work on yourself. You get strong physically and mentally, and I continue to do that because that’s part of life and learning. There are days where I feel completely bogged down, but I also then dig into my reserves, which are pretty strong, which help me tide over difficult times. If I have to say something, I would always tell people to listen to their body. It may sound silly, but love yourself. As women, we always feel so pressured about so many things. If you are working, there’s always a section of society that will make you feel what you are doing is not good and will tell you, ‘Who’s at home taking care of the kids?’ If you look a certain way, they’ll be like, ‘Isn’t it time for her to give up?’ There’s always something to justify, always a system pushing back. So I just want to say: love yourself.