Malaika Arora says she feels “empowered” by item songs and won’t apologize

Highlights

• Malaika Arora says performing item songs at 52 makes her feel “empowered”
  
• She rejects criticism and says dance is an expression to be celebrated
  
• Malaika hopes her work inspires women to embrace confidence and self-expression
  

Owning her image

Malaika Arora has become one of Bollywood’s most recognised faces for item numbers, from Chaiyya Chaiyya and Maahi Ve to Munni Badnaam Hui and Anarkali Disco Chali. While her performances have won widespread admiration, she has also faced trolling online.

On The Namrata Zakaria Show on YouTube, Malaika spoke about why she has no issue owning this image.

“Why not? Why do I need to tone it down or be apologetic about it? I mean, you get trolled for things, and many people say different things — but I don’t understand what the big deal is,” she said.

Dance as expression

For Malaika, dancing is more than performance; it is an art form and a source of empowerment.

“Dance is an expression, enjoyed in its true glory and its true form. I feel truly blessed that I am able to do all this at 52; I must be doing something right,” she said.

She added, “It is very, very empowering. It makes me feel amazing. As I have said before, I think that if women out there take it as an example or view it as something empowering or something for them that makes them feel good, then it’s a job well done.”

Recent performances

Last year, Malaika appeared in two high-profile item songs, Yo Yo Honey Singh’s Chillgum and Poison Baby from Aditya Sarpotdar’s film Thamma. She described these experiences as affirming her confidence and passion for dance.

A career of iconic numbers

Over the years, Malaika has built a reputation with special numbers that continue to resonate with audiences. Beyond just entertainment, she sees them as a platform to celebrate expression, confidence, and empowerment, showing that age is no barrier to performing with style and energy.