Malaika Arora also admitted that she always felt a responsibility to help her single mother run the house.
Malaika Arora began her journey in the modelling world while still in college, eventually establishing her place in the glamour industry. Reflecting on her early start, Malaika recently revealed that her motivation for working at a young age was to attain independence. However, this path was not without its challenges.
In a new episode of Curly Tales, Malaika revealed that her mother Joyce Polycarp used to get calls from her college because of her short attendance.
Malaika looks back
During the conversation, Malaika was asked how she started modelling while she was in college.
To which, she responded, “I did actually finish my two years of college at Jai Hind… Then I started modelling. It was getting very difficult because meri mummy ko college se call aane lag gaye because of my poor college attendance (My mother started getting calls) that my attendance is not up to the mark”.
She shared that she started doing a few ads and a few shows. Following that, she informed her mother that she wanted to work as she wanted to be independent.
At this point, Malaika was asked if she was chasing fame or independence.
“I want to be independent. I needed to do something which gave me some sort of value. Where money is concerned, Money is a byproduct of any work that you do. I didn’t need to run my home. But I felt it was a good way to help my mom because she was a single mother. I felt it would be nice to contribute to that situation as well. Not that my mom ever expected it, but I felt it was my duty as the older daughter,” she shared.
In the past
Malaika often shares pictures with her mother Joyce. Back in 2022, in an interview with Grazia, Malaika spoke about her bond with her mother, saying she observed her mother “through a new and unique lens”.
She said, “I had a wonderful childhood, but it wasn’t easy. In fact, in retrospect, the word I would use to describe it is tumultuous. But tough times teach you important lessons too. My parents’ separation allowed me to observe my mother through a new and unique lens.”
Malaika was only 11 years old when her parents–mother Joyce Polycarp and late father Anil Arora separated. At that time, Malaika’s younger sister-actor Amrita Arora was six years old. The sisters moved with their mother, Joyce, from Thane to Chembur. They were raised by her after the divorce.
