Jagmohan Singh Barhok

On Her Birth Anniversary

‘Sex-appeal’, it would be conceded, is filmstars’ personal stake in the enterprise. Indeed, it is their “stock-in-trade’. It is a ‘divine gift’ & also a ‘cultivated art’ . Malaika Arora, the subject of this write up, is undeniably gifted with this art to charm her followers and fans.

Married to actor Arbaaz Khan in 1998, the tall, svelte actress cum dancer was born to Anil Arora, a Punjabi who served the India Merchant Navy & a Malayali mom Joyce Polycarp.

Malaika debuted with 1998 film “Dil Se”, directed by Mani Ratnam. With insurgency as backdrop, the film starred Shah Rukh Khan & Manisha Koirala. Ratnam earlier made “Roja” & “Bombay”. She later worked in “Bichoo” (2000), “Maa Tujhe Salaam” ( 2002), “Dabang” (2010)… ‘Munni Badnaam Hui’ fame , “Om Shanti Om” (2007), “Dabangg2” & “Housefull 2” (2012), & “Pataakha” (2018) to mention some. In most films she appeared as a dancer.As a dancer, she hit the bull’s eye with her scintillating performances in the songs ‘Chaiyya Chaiyya’ (1998), ‘Gur Naalo Ishq Mitha’ (1998), ‘Maahi Ve’ (2002), ‘Kaal Dhamaal’ (2005), and not but least ‘Munni Badnaam Hui’ (2010).

She set up her own production house and produced “Dabangs” film series,so succesfully.The couple separated in 2017.She was part of “Nach Baliye” as one of the three judges, and also on some other popular television shows like” Jhalak Dikhla ja” & “Zara Nach Ke Dikha”.

Amrita Rao, her sister, is also an actress. Malaika’s current beau is Arjun Kapoor. Born this Day in Mumbai in 1973.