Early life and background
Malaika was born in Mumbai to a Malayali mother, Joyce Polycarp and a Punjabi father, Anil Arora. Her father worked in the merchant navy. Her younger sister, Amrita Arora is a Bollywood actress.
She completed her tenth grade from Swami Vivekanand School in Chembur (Mumbai). Her Aunt Grace Polycarp was the principal of the school. She is also an alumnus of the Holy Cross High School Thane where she had studied until ninth grade. She lived in Borla Society, opposite Basant Talkies before her modeling career.
Career
Malaika was selected as one of the VJs, when MTV India started its operations in India. She rose to an interviewer for MTV India, becoming the most prominent and non-movie, non-model female in urban India.
MTV India, recognizing her potential gave her plum roles co-anchoring with Cyrus Broacha the popular program Love Line and Style Check, at Award ceremonies and concerts on the television channel. She then entered the modeling world. Her modeling career was equally successful.
Malaika has appeared in many advertisements as well as cameos for song and dance sequences, such as Chaiyya Chaiyya in the film Dil Se and Maahi Ve in Kaante, she earned the moniker, sex bomb. She has since then focused on her career as a model.
In 2005, she did another item number, Kaal Dhamaal in the movie Kaal. Recently she also did an item in Mahesh Babu's Telugu film. In 2007, she did a title song in Heyy Babyy directed by Sajid Khan and another popular song for Om Shanti Om whose director is the sister of Sajid, Farah Khan.
Personal life
She is married to the Bollywood actor Arbaaz Khan whom she met during a coffee ad shoot. Together they have a son, Arhaan. Her sister is actress Amrita Arora, and her brother-in-laws are actors, Salman Khan and Sohail Khan
Arbaaz said in an interview "She balances work, home and kid beautifully." Amrita said on the popular show Koffee With Karan that she doesn't know anyone in Bollywood who has maintained their body as well as Malaika, even after motherhood.
Filmography
- Aaja Meri Jaan (1993)
- Dil Se (1998) ... Dancer on train (Song Chaiyya Chaiyya)
- Bichhoo (2000) ... Kiran (Special Appearance)
- Indian (2001)
- Kaante (2002) ... Lisa
- Maa Tujhhe Salaam (2002) ... Special Appearance
- Kaal (2005) ... Special Appearance (Song Kaal Dhamaal)
- Heyy Babyy (2007) ... Special Appearance
- Athidhi (2007) .... Special Appearance-Song (Telugu film)
- Om Shanti Om (2007) ... Special appearance in song, Deewangi Deewangi
- Welcome (2007) ... Item Number
- EMI (2008) ...
Nach Baliye
Malaika also appeared in the television show Nach Baliye as one of the 3 judges and the show aired on STAR One in mid-2005, and she continued as a judge in Nach Baliye 2 that started airing in the last quarter of 2006.
Zara Nachke Dikha
Malaika has also judged in the show zara nachke dikha as a judge along with the indian actor Chunky Pandey.