20th March, Mumbai: Malaika Arora opens up about benefits of ‘Khan’ surname after divorce and her reasons for dropping it.
Malaika Arora, a popular personality in Bollywood, discussed how her association with the Khan family due to her marriage to Arbaaz Khan contributed to her popularity in the industry. However, Malaika and Arbaaz ended their 19-year marriage in May 2017. Malaika recently revealed that she decided to drop the ‘Khan’ surname and revert to her maiden name. She recalled being advised that the Khan surname carried significant weightage in the industry.
Arbaaz and Malaika were wed in 1998. They first announced their split in March 2016 and went through with it the following year. They are co-parenting their son Arhaan Khan, who they have together.
Malaika Arora was questioned on the benefits of having ties to the Khan family in terms of her success in Bollywood during the India Today conclave 2023 She admitted that having a well-known last name has advantages but said that it wasn’t the only thing that contributed to her success. Malaika underlined that in order to succeed in the business, she needed to put in a lot of effort and consistently demonstrate her worth. She added that she continued to put in a lot of effort and advance her profession after resuming use of her maiden name as her last name.
Malaika Arora revealed that many people had urged her against changing her marriage last name because it was so respected in the business. She also mentioned how much she loved and respected her ex-in-laws and her ex-family. I have a kid, and I am very much part of the family. Malaika, on the other hand, highlighted the significance of being able to stand on her own two feet and develop a sense of self, which she did by giving up her last name and going back to her maiden name. She valued having the confidence to face any challenge in life, not just the surname.
Malaika discussed co-parenting with Arbaaz and raising her son Arhaan throughout the event. She also discussed her professional life and how she remained current despite spending years working in the field.