In
a Bollywood suffused with temperamental divas
and petulant egomaniacs, Malaika Arora Khan,
stands out as someone who is a thorough and
dedicated professional. At her movie sets and
TV shows it is just not her style to subjugate
everyone by displaying a star's prissy tantrums
and ego the size of a jumbo jet. Directors love
her quiet attitude to her work and that is why
this sexy lady is always swamped with acting
assignments. Malaika shot to fame with her chartbusting
dance "Chhaiya chhaiya", an item number
that she performed with Shahrukh Khan in the
movie Dil Se. With this song she stormed her
way into the hearts and minds of the nation
and made her mark on Bollywood. Her next memorable
performance was a dance in Kaal.
But before Chhaiya Chhaiya happened, Malaika
had already made a name for herself in the modeling
industry. Her foray into modeling owes much
to a stroke of good luck rather than to any
design on her part. Back in April 1993 some
of her photographs shot by lensmen Suresh Natarajan
fortuitously fell into the hands of Suma Varghese,
the then editor of up market glossy –
Society. The photographs caused a sensation
when the magazine's issue came out. The ad gurus
took note of Malaika's dusky beauty and she
got cast in her first ad campaign, the somewhat
notorious MR coffee campaign. On heels of her
first campaign she did promotions for Pearl
Pet, Bare Necessities, Mafatlal and Benzer.
She has also modeled for Arena, Tanishq, Tribhuvandhas
Bhimji, and De Beers.
The most lasting impression that Malaika has
made on India is through her vibrant programs
on MTV. When MTV India first started, Malaika
was one of their most prominent VJ's. She rose
from being a VJ to be an interviewer for MTV
India. As with everything that Malaika does,
her interviews have become most talked about.
Celebrities from all walks of life vie for a
chance to be quizzed by Malaika. MTV India,
recognizing her potential gave her prominent
roles at Awards Functions and concerts telecast
on the television channel. To this day her modeling
and TV career is going strong. But for the film
aficionados she is the quintessential item girl.
In 2005, she did another item number: Kaal Dhamaal
which sent audiences scurrying for shade from
the heat she created.
At one point in her career Malaika was linked
with John Abraham. It was being rumored that
they planned to tie the knot. Malaika did tie
the knot in 1999 but it was another fellow actor,
Arbaaz Khan that she married. Thankfully for
her fans, her marriage has not driven her away
from the world of arc lights and camera. She
says, "I love being in front of the camera."
But her fans know that it is a two-way love
affair, as the camera loves her too. At present
she is hosting MTV Love Line along with Cyrus
Brocha. When asked about why she seems to be
distancing herself from the big screen, she
says, "No, I haven't distanced myself from
the big screen. However, I never dreamt of being
a heroine. But, I do item numbers because of
my interest in dance and music."
Well, what about her style, how does Malaika
define her marvelous dress code? She says, "Wear,
what you think, suits you. Don't follow others."
She lets it be known that she likes to keep
her wardrobe rather simplistic - pairs of blue
jeans, white shirts, good shoes and of course,
sunglasses. But her fans will find this difficult
to believe that street shopping is okay with
her. She says, "It depends on what I have
to purchase. However, these days I do only designer
shopping. Earlier, when I was a model, I used
to go street shopping, say, to places like Janpath
in New Delhi."
