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After Helen, here is an "Item Girl" who seduces the viewer without being blatantly salacious.To call Malaika an Item girl would be to understate her ability to make it look like a traditional dance form. From 'Dil Se' to 'EMI' to 'Helloo India', the Malaika numbers have been designed in such a way as to energise the viewer than to tickle his abs.
Malaika was born on August 23, 1973 to a Malayalee mother, Joyce Polycarp, and a Punjabi father, Anil Arora.
Her father was in the Merchant Navy.
Her sister, Amrita Arora, is also an actress.
Amrita Arora, while being interviewed by Karan Johar on 'Koffee With Karan', said she "doesn't know anyone in Bollywood who has maintained their body like Malaika has, even after motherhood".
She met Bollywood actor Arbaaz Khan during a coffee ad shoot, fell in love, and got married in February, 1999.
They have a son, Arhaan, who was born in 2003.
She was named the 'sexiest mom' in Bollywood by Maxim magazine.
Arbaaz says, "She (Malaika) balances work, home and kid beautifully."
"I see that I have enough time for myself. I want to go back to my son at the end of the day, I love to see him smile, run around and just be there for him. There's this unbelievable strong bond that I feel towards him which is so tough to explain," says she.
Malaika is sister-in-law to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan and director-actor, Sohail Khan.
Before Bollywood opened its doors to her, Malaika was one of MTV India's most prominent VJ's, who did shows like 'Love Line' with Cyrus Broacha and 'Style Check'.
Says Malaika, "Honestly, when I began my career I never thought I would come this far. Everyone kept telling me that models and VJs don't last more than a couple of years. Today, I feel proud to be in that kind of an enviable position."
She also did music videos for Bally Sagoo's "Gud Naal Ishq Mitha" with Jas Arora and Shubha Mudgal's 'Pyaar Ke Geet' album with Arbaaz Khan.
She has also been seen as judge in the reality show 'Nach Baliye' and and two seasons of 'Zara Nachke Dikha'.
"I feel like I've been on television forever. I get very involved with my shows. In fact, now I'm doing a style-based radio show in Dubai. It's a completely new medium. There I'm sitting with headphones talking away to an invisible audience. It's like talking to myself," says Malaika.
Malaika has appeared in numerous TV ads as well. She is currently the brand ambassador for Streax Hair Colour.
"When I am cited as an example of a successful VJ, dancer and a mom, I feel humbled. I've given 100 per cent to whatever I've done. But there's also a huge luck factor that has helped," says she.
Before she married Arbaaz, the media had "romantically linked" her to John Abraham.
Her Bollywood career began with a film called 'Aaja Meri Jaan' in 1993.
With the 'Chaiyya Chaiyya' number in 'Dil Se', opposite Shah Rukh Khan, Malaika gained international fame.
She then did several item numbers including 'Mahi Ve' in 'Kaante', 'Kaal Dhamaal' with SRK in 'Kaal', 'Chori Chori Mujhko Dekho' from 'EMI' and 'Honth Rasiley' in 'Welcome'.
She was last seen in 'Prem ka Game' along with her husband, 'Arbaaz Khan' and Sajid Khan's 'Housefull'.
Rumours of the Malaika-Arbaaz "spilt" made headlines in 2008; it turned out to be a hoax.
In April 2010, Malaika posed for PETA, campaigning against animal circuses. "Robbing birds of flight, forcing them to live in tiny, filthy cages and tormenting them into performing silly tricks are acts of cruelty to animals. I ask all my fans to boycott circuses which use animals," she said.
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