Malaika Arora is currently seen in Disney+Hotstar show 'Moving In With Malaika' showcasing her true self and shutting down trolls in her quintessential style. From taking a sharp dig at the media for constantly addressing her as ‘aunty’ for dating a younger man, actor Arjun Kapoor, to her ‘duck walk’ , Malaika is seen addressing every troll with utmost elegance.
Created by Malaika Arora and Banijay Asia, the show is an exclusive and insightful look into the life of a multi-talented Indian celebrity and in this conversation, Malaika talks about why this show was much needed now and why she is calling it her 2.0 version.
"Well, I started my career as a host and I loved it. To be able to control the flow of a show and at the same time engage with the audience is very difficult but also exhilarating for me. People have always known me as a performer and hosting is just an extension of that. Since this show is about me and life, I am getting a chance to do things my way. Everything on the show and behind the scenes reflects my personality," she tells the writer when asked about if she enjoyed taking charge of the show and adding her own personality to it.
The show started with showing how Malaika is seen laughing off all the trolling she has received whether it is – age, body, or relationship. When asked if she enjoyed hat part, Malaika says, "First up, it's not easy to look at those comments by the trolls and just go about your day like nothing has happened. It has been a journey learning to react to trolls this way. To be honest, It used to bother me initially but you eventually learn to not waste time on them too much and learn to ignore or even laugh it off sometimes.
"I genuinely believe that this was the best way to introduce the show because you take away their power when you let these trolls know that they are not affecting you anymore. That's what I wanted to achieve by doing this and I believe that I have achieved that to a large extent because I can see the shift in tone and ratio of the comments. I see more positive than negative comments on certain posts now.
The actor says that the show is all about what she wanted to do. "It's about Malaika 2.0. Dealing with trolls is a part of it but not the whole of it. You will see more of me doing exciting stuff but I am not going to spill the beans too much. You'll have to watch and find out what happens next," she says.
Talking about how she takes up all the criticism or trolling and if being a celebrity, she is on the radar most of the time compared to any normal female of your age in the common world," Malaika says, "Well yes, unfortunately, we are living in a world where women are still spoken about this way. Whether it's their age, the way to dress, or the jobs they do. As a professional, we tend to develop a thick skin around us..the best thing you can do for yourself is to not let these things affect you beyond a point. People sometimes forget that we too are normal women, we feel things but for our own peace of mind, we should not give these words too much power.
Talking about what she expects her legacy would be, she says, "I hope my legacy is more than what people assume about me. I am more than my glamorous pictures. I am a mother, entrepreneur, sister, daughter, a friend you can depend on... i have different emotions...i am Independent, Fierce, vulnerable, scared, sad, and happy. And this show is an opportunity for me to show that side of mine to my fans"
Even Deepak Dhar, the CEO & Founder, Banijay Asia, feels that Malaika was the perfect fit for the show. "Moving in with Malaika is a very important show because we are venturing into following reality genre with this concept. The target viewers are everyone who wants to have a peek at what Malaika’s life revolves around, anyone who wants to see a force of nature, basically, owning her narrative for the first time on such a huge platform. We know that Malaika has been in the news since forever. She is always making headlines, people are perpetually interested in what she has to do, wear, say. It’s a show that gives the audience to, virtually, move in with her and get to know who she is beyond the paparazzi lenses," he said in this interview.
Talking about the inputs that came from Malaika to make this show more relatable to the audience, he says that "Malaika has been a great collaborator on this show. From talking about high points, to working towards getting her best authentic self out, she has been a champion. We believe that authenticity with respect to celebrities is something that strikes a chord with the audience. Malaika has been a part of this process from Day 1 and we are very happy with all her inputs. It’s a perfect collaboration of sorts."
