That’s a yummy mummy-Malliaka Arora

That's a yummy mummy

Malaika Arora Khan on being a mother... and an item number

Subhash K Jha

For Malaika Arora Khan, being a married woman, a mother and an item girl all come very easily. Having just returned from a live performance in Antwerp, Malaika can't stop talking about her three-year-old son Arhaan. She says: "I hadn't taken him along. But whenever I'm away I am sure he is well taken care of. Or else I would have simply chucked my career to become a housewife."

And Malaika gives a lot of credit to her husband Arbaaz Khan for this. She continues: "Arbaaz is extremely helpful. When I'm working, he makes sure that he is with Arhaan. Besides we are so blessed to have the entire family standing behind us. Also Arhaan understands my need to get away."

Ask her about the trip she, Amrita and Kareena were planning after the concert and she says, "Oh! I chickened out. I so wanted to come back for my baby. I cannot ruffle his routine too much. But I take him almost everywhere. He's a wonderful kid. I grew up with working parents. And at three, Arhaan understands that I need to work."

She could have easily taken to acting. And it seems there were offers too. But she says she turned them down for a reason. "There were offers galore to play lead roles when I started out. I even discussed it with Arbaaz. But we both felt if I too became an actor our relationship would suffer. It wasn't easy for me to be a married woman and have a full-fledged career. I had to make that choice. And I did… without any regret. There are other moms like Kajol who are into acting full time. But I can't do it."

However Malaika does what she loves doing best… dancing. However the tag of the item girl has a lot of baggage associated with it. She agrees and says: "That tag has so many connotations. But to me the biggest compliment comes when each time I do a song I'm asked 'How the hell did you pull it off?' People never find me vulgar or unaesthetic. No one can ever accuse me of being cheap. It's a very easy to get labelled a particular way in our society. However I've sailed past those stumbling blocks. And I've set my own benchmark. And when you do that, only good offers come your way."

And then of course, there is Arbaaz. "When Sanjay Gupta asked me to do a pole dance in Kaante, I wondered how I'd do it. But Arbaaz was reassuring. He said I'd never look vulgar doing anything. I was really thrilled," she says.

Ask her the secret behind looking so stunning, and she laughs and insists that there is none. "I wish there was. But clichd as it may sound, it has to do with inner happiness. I feel very blessed.Yes, I'm a wife and a mother. I would always wonder how women in the West come manage to have their careers in place, remain married, be mothers and still look so devastatingly beautiful. But when I was put in the same situation I realised, it was no big deal. I pretty much made the transition without a mishap."

She says that there had been offers to walk the international ramp. But she chose to hold herself back. "There have been dozens of opportunities to pack my bags and go West. I love my work. But there are far more important things in my life. And my family matters the most to me."

Currently Malaika is busy with modelling assignments. "They say models don't have a shelf life. I would never trade my life for anything to the world." she concludes.


• When Sanjay Gupta asked me to do a pole dance in Kaante, Iwondered how I'd do it. But Arbaaz wasreassuring. He said I'd never look vulgar doing anything