Malaika Arora tied the knot with Arbaaz Khan when she was in her early 20s. The couple parted ways after 19 years of marriage. In a recent interview with Pinkvilla, Malaika spoke about how she outgrew the notion of "settling down" later in life.
Speaking about the reason behind getting married at 25 Malaika told the publication, "Not that I have grown up in a background where I was told ‘oh you have to get married at this age’. I was told to live my life, go out enjoy, meet more people, and have more relationships, I was told all of that. Yet, I don’t know what got into my head, I said by 22-23 I want to get married. No one forced me but it was what I needed to do right now because it was the best option I had at that moment."
Malaika added that when she realised marriage isn't what she wanted, she was "questioned and ridiculed."
"When I decided to get divorced, I don’t think there were too many women in the industry getting divorced and moving on. I felt, for me, for my personal growth, my choice, I had to feel okay within if I had to make my kid happy and make my kid flourish in his space. So, that’s what I did."Malaika Arora
Malaika said that a lot of people look down on divorce but for her, she “had to feel settled and happy to make anyone around me happy. It starts with me.”
The actor even recalled a time when a publication wrote about the cost of one of her outfits and she received nasty comments. “Somebody decided to carry a ridiculous article about something that I was wearing as to how expensive it is and they said, ‘Clearly she can afford it because she got a fat alimony’ and I was aghast. Whatever you have done life whatever level, it makes no difference,” the actor said.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)