Malaika Arora says she feels empowered doing item songs at 52: ‘They make me feel amazing; why would I be apologetic?’

The actor and entrepreneur appeared on The Namrata Zakaria Show on YouTube, where she discussed her career, personal life and everything in between. When asked about whether she now owns the image that is associated with her and the performances, she said, “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. 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.”

ALSO READ: ‘Aap gaali dengi na?’: What Vishal Bhardwaj asked Farida Jalal before casting her in Shahid Kapoor’s O’ Romeo

Malaika also 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.”

She has touched on the topic and the evolving nature of such songs on a previous occasion as well. While talking to THR India, Malaika argued that the space has now changed since her initial days and said, “Earlier, they were mostly about glamour and spectacle, often detached from a woman’s individuality. Today, filmmakers are more conscious… they integrate these numbers into stories with stronger character context. It’s less about being provocative and more about performance and presence. I see it as an evolution where women can own their space.”

Apart from the aforementioned song, Malaika has appeared in songs like ‘Anarkali’ from Housefull 2, ‘Munni Badnaam’ in Dabangg, ‘Hoth Rasiley’ in Welcome, Chaiyya Chaiyya’ from Dil Se, among many more.