Malaika Arora Opens Up On Divorce With Arbaaz Khan, Co-Parenting And Choosing Happiness
Malaika Arora opened up about divorce, co-parenting with Arbaaz Khan, dealing with criticism, and her belief in giving love another chance.
Malaika Arora, who shot to fame with her iconic dance moves in the ‘Dil Se’ track ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ back in 1998, married actor-producer Arbaaz Khan that same year. The two had first crossed paths during an ad shoot for a coffee brand in 1993, dated for five years, and welcomed their son Arhaan in 2002. However, after nearly two decades together, their marriage came to an end in 2016, with their divorce being finalized in 2017. At the time, Arhaan was just 15.
In a recent interview with Pinkvilla, Malaika opened up about navigating co-parenting with Arbaaz and the criticism she faced post-divorce.
“It is very important to find that balance. Through co-parenting, you constantly need to navigate. But, after all these years, I think we have found good balance. Plus, Arhaan is now a grown up kid. He is 22. He knows what he has to speak to his mother and what he needs to address with his dad. The situation is clear, we have our boundaries,” she said.
The Bollywood actress also emphasized that divorce doesn’t always negatively impact children. She said, “Very often, subconsciously, we put our fears on our children. We shouldn’t do it. Kids should never know what their parents are going through. I am very aware of my roots and so is my child, but I will not let my child be affected by any of those things happened in my life.”
Reflecting on her marriage and divorce, Malaika admitted, “It is hard. A lot of people throw their opinions at you about how to live life and things to do… but, I personally believe, relationships are very fragile sometimes. I would love my marriage to be there forever. But it couldn’t happen.”
She added, “But, that doesn’t mean I have lost faith in love. It doesn’t mean what I have done is a huge mistake. Things that were meant to happen has happened. There were many situations where one can try to work things and make sure something good comes out. But at one point, we decided that this won’t work out.”
The Bollywood actress revealed that when they chose to separate, many accused her of being selfish.
“People think it is wrong to put yourself first. They always say you have to put your child first. Or you have to put your family first. But, what is the harm in putting yourself first? There is a famous saying: ‘You should love yourself first, before sharing it with others.’ And I felt, at that point… I needed to be happy. Before working things out or making others happy, I was not happy,” she shared.
“Too many people pointed fingers at me and said, ‘What a selfish decision.’ But that might be a selfish decision to you. I did what I felt. It is hard for people to understand. I feel that decision has helped me become a better person. I have become more ease at myself. I am in a happier space. My kid is in a much better and happier space,” Malaika added.
Malaika shared that she and Arbaaz have handled the separation and co-parenting “very beautifully”.
When asked about the idea of love and remarriage, she smiled and said, “Never say never. Like I said, I'm a hardcore romantic. I believe in love. I believe in all things about love. So, never say never.”
