For as long as she has been in the public eye, Malaika Arora has carried the labels “too bold,” “too outspoken,” and “too much.” They’ve followed her through every stage of her career, shaping the way people saw her and, sometimes, the way she saw herself. But today, at 51, she isn’t running from them anymore. Rather, she puts them on as a crown.
In a candid interview with Hindustan Times, Malaika discussed how she lost the strings of constant judgment, whether for her line of work, her fashion sense, or her affair. For a long time, she says, she felt the need to justify herself. But the day she stopped was the day she felt truly free.
“It was tough because people love to tell you what you should or shouldn’t be. I was judged for my career, my clothes, my relationships—you name it. But the day I stopped explaining myself was the day I felt free. The only narrative that matters is the one you write for yourself,” she says.
Breaking Free from the “Too Much” Tag
Bollywood has never been an easy terrain for women who don’t conform. And Malaika has been no stranger to this. From her early career in dance numbers to her transition into reality television and business ventures, she’s often been slotted into boxes that others created for her.
“I’ve been called too bold, too outspoken, too everything,” she admits. But instead of letting these words weigh her down, she’s flipped their meaning. “If I’m ‘too much’ for someone, they’re probably not enough for me.”
It’s a powerful point of view, one with which many women, particularly those who are always compared to societal norms, will identify. Malaika’s refusal to downsize herself is as much an individual win as a plea for everyone who’s ever been told to tone herself down.
When Work Mirrors Life
Curiously, Malaika’s career choices tend to reflect her personal journey. She recently became the face of HYUE’s new campaign, Own It, a collaboration that felt deeply personal.
“Whether in fashion, fitness, or just the choices I’ve made, I’ve never followed a formula. Real confidence comes when you stop performing for the world and start living for yourself,” she says.
For her, this campaign wasn’t just another endorsement; it was like telling her own story through beauty. “I’ve had to fight labels, opinions, and expectations all my life. So Own It isn’t merely a slogan to me; it’s my lived experience.
Her sincerity makes her appeal feel less like celebrity marketing and more like lived life. She doesn’t simply preach self-assurance; she has struggled with judgment and uncertainty to arrive at a point where she can inhabit it.
Struggling with Self-Doubt
That’s not to say Malaika is above self-doubt. She concedes there are days when insecurity rears its head and has her second-guessing herself. But rather than battling those feelings, she has learned to sit with them.
“Self-doubt is human; it never really disappears,” she says. “There are days when I question myself, just like anyone else. But over the years, I’ve learned to meet those moments with kindness rather than criticism. Confidence isn’t about never doubting; it’s about moving forward with grace despite it.”
It’s a welcome spin, particularly in a society that tends to identify confidence with perfection. Malaika demonstrates that strength is compatible with vulnerability and that confidence is not the lack of fear but the decision to overcome it.
Living Life on Her Own Terms
What is most striking about Malaika in this instance is the unapologetic way she lives life on her own terms. From the split with actor-producer Arbaaz Khan to her highly speculated affair with Arjun Kapoor, her private life decisions have always been in the headlines. Yet all through, she has remained resolute about keeping other people’s opinions from ruling her joy.
Her story is a reminder that freedom is not found in trying to please the world; it is found in releasing the need to defend yourself. And once you release that, the labels that once weighed heavily can begin to feel like adornments of strength.
For Malaika, “too much” is no longer an insult; she makes it her strength. And in owning it, she’s not only stolen back her own narrative but also provided hundreds of others permission to do the same.