Call her the 'Chaiyya Chaiyya Girl', 'Fitness Guru', or 'OG Supermodel', Malaika Arora is a diva and nothing can change that. Ruling her life like a queen and living it on her own terms, she has paved the path and been an inspiration to millions of young girls. While she is a public figure, Malaika knows the art of keeping her personal life guarded against the judgmental societal gaze. Now, the tide is turning. Through her first reality show, titled Moving In With Malaika, the diva will be giving access to the world into her closely guarded and protected personal space in which she is vulnerable, simple, and sensitive. 

The first episode of Moving In With Malaika premiered today on Disney+Hotstar. The episode began with the actress saying, "They said I'm the most watched celebrity around. I've been watched all my life. But I feel, like I've never been heard." The dialogue is accompanied by stunning footage of the actress flirting around and inside a swimming pool. As Malaika geared up to let the audience inside her world and space, her mother Joyce Arora, boyfriend Arjun Kapoor, and best friends Kareena Kapoor Khan and Neha Dhupia had motivational words for her. 

After a relatively slow start, the episode picked pace and engrossment when Malaika started getting comfortable with the setting. In conversation with Farah Khan on her own couch over a plate of a flavourful meal cooked by the filmmaker, the diva embraced her real self and revisited the now-closed chapter of her marriage with Arbaaz Khan. Malaika and Arbaaz parted ways after 19 years of marriage in 2017. They continue to remain friends and bond over meals with their son Arhaan Khan, who is currently studying out of India. 

What Works

Moving In With Malaika acts like a tight slap on the face of haters and naysayers. Speaking of just the first episode and what can be perceived from it, Malaika will be introducing her real self to the world one phase at a time. Scarred by personal traumas and a car accident, Malaika comes across as a rock-solid person who has been through brighter highs and darker lows than most in showbiz. 

She begins to expose her wounds and reveal the reason behind not signing an acting project in the past couple of years. Drawing the curtain from her marriage and separation from Arbaaz, Malaika further revealed that she chose to marry at a young age because she wanted to move out of her parent's home. Living life on her own terms, she chose her space and sanity over societal judgements and taunts when she came to a conclusion to part ways with Arbaaz. 

In the first episode of Moving In With Malaika, the audience will start getting a glimpse into her unseen space, her stunning home. Not to forget, they'll also get a better understanding of her thought process and ideologies. The cliffhanger will definitely leave you wanting more.  

What Doesn't Work

The messages for Malaika from Kareena, Arjun and Neha look pretty much staged and unreal for a reality show. Having them introduce the show to the audience felt unnecessary as a stronger start to the first episode was much-needed. The constant reminder that Malaika is a guarded person and she has to let go of her inhibitions was hammering. We hope the next episodes are free of these flaws and focus more on Malaika.

As Malaika said at the beginning of the show, it is time to hear her out! The queen is here to lend voice to her life story and we cannot wait for the next episode.  

(Image Credit: Disney+Hotstar/Moving In With Malaika)