Every year, Malaika Arora celebrates Christmas at her mother, Joyce Polycarp’s home in Bandra. It’s been a tradition that the family has followed for many years now. This year, though, the mood is sombre, as Malaika lost her father, Anil Mehta, in September.
‘It’s very difficult for me to talk about the festival this year’
Malaika shares, “It’s very difficult for me to talk about Christmas this year. We didn’t want to do anything, but we all know that dad would have wanted some Christmas cheer at home. So, mom will just cook his favourite dishes for a close set of people. This year, we will celebrate the festival in his remembrance. It’s a difficult phase for us as a family, and we will deal with it together.”
Malaika Arora with mother Joyce Polycarp, father Anil Mehta and sister Amrita Arora Ladak
‘Dad’s passing away was very shocking’
Soon after her father’s demise, Malaika returned to work, hoping that it would help her divert her mind. “Dad’s passing away was very shocking. Everybody has a different way of coping with grief and loss. Luckily, we are all there with our mother; she’s probably the strongest woman on earth, and we get our strength from her. I tried getting back to work because everybody said it’s the best way to heal, but I found it tough initially. It was difficult to meet people and maintain a tough exterior. Eventually, I did get back to work, but only after I felt I was in a better headspace. After all, you will never be able to completely deal with such a loss. People will assume a lot of things and comment on social media. It’s sad that some people said, ‘Oh, she bounced back so soon’, but they don’t know that as a public figure, you have certain commitments, and you have to put up some posts,” she shares.
Malaika Arora with son Arhaan
‘If Arhaan wants to be an actor, he will have to dedicate two-three years of his life prepping for it’
This year was special for Malaika as her son Arhaan came into the limelight. He began with his podcast, became popular with the paps and also ventured into the restaurant business. Talking about her son, Malaika says, “Arhaan was away studying. He came back and wanted to do something, so he produced the podcast with his friends. Arhaan was a shy boy. He has changed, and it’s good to see this side of him. He wants to dabble in different things. Will it eventually culminate in him getting into films or showbiz? Well, that’s a choice he has to make. If he wants to be an actor, he will have to dedicate two-three years of his life prepping for it.”
‘It is time for all of us to move on from whatever transpired this year’
Malaika’s break-up with Arjun Kapoor was in the news earlier this year. While she hasn’t spoken about it, at an event, Arjun said he is single. Ask her about this, and she says, “I am a very private person, and there are certain aspects of my life which I don’t want to elaborate on much. I will never choose a public platform to talk about my personal life. So, whatever Arjun has said is entirely his prerogative. I just want to say that, yes, it has been a very trying year for various reasons. I think it is time for all of us to move on from whatever transpired in the year that went by. I am ready for the New Year and a new start in my life.”