Malaika Arora

Malaika Arora (born 23 October 1973) is an Indian actress, dancer, model, video jockey, and television personality who appears in Hindi-language films. She made her debut as a film producer in 2008 with her former husband Arbaaz Khan, founding the company Arbaaz Khan Productions, which created the Dabangg film series. As an actress, she has starred in films like Kaante (2002) and EMI (2008). She also performed in the songs Chaiyya Chaiyya (1998), Gur Naalo Ishq Mitha (1998), Maahi Ve (2002), Kaal Dhamaal (2005) and Munni Badnaam Hui (2010).

Early life and background

Malaika Arora was named after the Swahili word malaika meaning "angel". She was born in Thane, Maharashtra. Her mother, Joyce Polycarp, is a Malayali Christian, and her father, Anil Arora, was a Punjabi Hindu from the Indian border town of Fazilka who worked in the Indian Merchant Navy. Her parents divorced when she was 11 years old, and she moved to Chembur with her sister Amrita and mother, who raised them as a single mom. Her father shared a respectful relationship with the family.

She completed her secondary education at Swami Vivekanand School in Chembur. She lived in Borla in Sindhi Society, Chembur before starting her modelling career.

Career

Arora was selected as a VJ for MTV India when its operations began. She worked as an interviewer, hosting shows such as Club MTV, and later co-hosting the shows Love Line and Style Check with Cyrus Broacha. Malaika then entered the modelling world, appearing in many advertisements, as well as album songs like Bally Sagoo's "Gur Naalo Ishq Mitha" opposite Jas Arora, and item numbers such as "Chaiyya Chaiyya" in the 1998 Bollywood film Dil Se...