Malaika Arora, on the occasion of Mother`s Day, spoke to Humans of Bombay about motherhood, how people said it would be the end of her career, and not losing her own identity after becoming a mother.
The actress said- “‘“This will end your career!’ is what people said when I was expecting. Back then, after marriage, you’d barely see an actress on screen. But being raised by women who advocated being independent, I knew motherhood just meant I was to essay one more role—the role of mom! I worked through my pregnancy—shuttling shows, & rehearsals. And when Arhaan was born, I promised to give him the world. I also promised myself—I won’t lose my identity in the process of being a mom. Ever since, I’ve lived up to both the promises.”
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She added, “2 months after delivery, I performed at an award show. I was proud of myself because I also made it back home in time to tuck Arhaan in bed. Knowing that I could juggle motherhood & work empowered me. In fact, I said yes to Karan for Kaal Dhamaal a year after delivery! But I had ‘working mom’ guilt. So, I maximized my time with Arhaan. Every morning, I’d sing malayalam songs to him, the ones my mom sang to me. Then, I’d strap him on & run errands before heading to work. And I always made it back home in time to read to him. I also had a solid support system in my family.”
Recently, the actress also spoke about her accident and how it made her feel. She stated, “Physically, I am recovering, but mentally, I feel that it doesn’t go away completely. Sometimes, if I am watching a movie that depicts an accident or shows blood, I get flashes that send shivers down my spine. I have to go through the process, and will eventually be able to move past it.”
Disturbing as it is for her to recollect the accident, Arora says she could barely register anything as it all happened in a flash. “I was in shock. [On collision], my head was hurting, and all I wanted to know was whether I was alive or not. There was too much blood, too much commotion to understand what was happening. I felt an immense jolt, and the rest was a blur till I reached the hospital.” She was advised bed rest for the next two weeks. “We had a narrow escape. I believe in God and angels, and there was some energy protecting all of us. Now, I am back [to work], but I was exhausted on the first day of the shoot.”
