Malaika Arora amid trolling for 'Chillgum moves' & personal life: "I don’t let negativity decide....."

Malaika Arora turned 50 last month, but she seems to be ageing in reverse while the noise around her only grows louder. Through every phase of her life, she’s been watched, judged and dissected. Yet she stands steady, choosing confidence over commentary every single time.

When personal life becomes public battleground

Malaika has lived most of her adulthood under a magnifying glass. Her separation from Arbaaz Khan, raising her son Arhaan as a single mother, and later finding love again became quick fodder for endless online chatter. She admits it wasn’t always easy, but she also learned when to look away. According to her, the only voices that matter belong to the people she loves. Everything else is background noise. That approach has helped her cut through some of the harshest comments aimed at her choices, relationships and timelines.

‘Chillgum’ heat wave: when a dance step became a debate

This year, she found herself at the centre of another wave of ridicule after the release of Yo Yo Honey Singh’s song Chillgum. Her bold moves, especially the twerk-heavy choreography and sharp expressions, sparked a fresh round of trolling. Social media pulled apart her outfit, her energy, even her face.

But Malaika didn’t flinch. Dance has always been her playground, and she has never apologised for showing up with full force. She’s said many times that performing lights her up more than acting ever could. If anything, the backlash only proved how much scrutiny women performers still deal with when they refuse to dim themselves.

A new rumour, a new shrug

More recently, a viral clip from Enrique Iglesias’ Mumbai concert stirred gossip about her talking to a “mystery man”. Some assumed she had moved on after her split with Arjun Kapoor. The speculation quickly turned into ageist digs, with people mocking her for supposedly dating someone younger.

Malaika, true to form, didn’t address it. She has never let whispers decide her story, and she isn’t about to start now. In a world where everyone has an opinion about how a woman should look, love, dance or age, Malaika Arora keeps choosing herself.