03 August,2023 12:37 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Arbaaz Khan. Pic/Google
Arbaaz Khan, who celebrates his birthday on August 4, might be known for his career as an actor, but what fascinates people more is the role of a family man that he plays to the T. While his marriage with Malaika Arora hit a rough phase, it didn't affect their friendship and mutual respect for each other. They co-parent their son, Arhaan, who is currently studying in the USA.
Over the years, Malaika has spoken about her divorce from Arbaaz after almost 18 years of marriage. They officially got divorced in 2017. In her reality show, Moving In With Malaika, the actress told Farah Khan in the first episode, "He is a wonderful person. He let me be the person I am today. I feel a lot of me that I am today is also because of him because he let me be the person I am."
Talking about the separation, Malaika shared, "We drifted. We were too young. I was very young. I think I also changed. I also wanted different things in life. Somewhere I felt that was missing in my space and I needed to move on. I felt the only way I could do that is if I could actually probably let go of certain ties. I think today we are better people. We love and respect each other for the people that we are. We have a child together. So that is something that will never ever change. But I feel we are far better people. Then, I think we were very irritable. Very irritable people. We became angry, negative people."
Arbaaz spoke in an interview with ETimes about co-parenting Arhaan and moving on in life. "Malaika and I have bypassed all that too. We have forgotten the past and realised that our entire life lies ahead. She has moved on, I have moved on. Where is the animosity or anger or frustration or anything like that? That's gone. For the sake of your child at least, you can come together and create a scenario that is much needed. He is our child. We brought him into this world. It is our responsibility to take care of him," he told.
In an interview with Good Times, Arbaaz shared, "So that happens in relationships also. I tried for 21 years but I couldn't succeed in one aspect but theek hai (that's okay). It's alright. Not many people even try that long."
Despite parting ways and moving on in life, Arbaaz has stood like a strong pillar of support for Malaika. After she met with a car accident in 2022, the actress was taken to the hospital. She injured her eye. Recalling seeing Arbaaz at the hospital, Malaika said on her show, "When I was wheeled out one of the first faces that I saw was actually Arbaaz, at that moment. And he kept asking me, 'Can you see? How many numbers? How many fingers?' And I was like 'why is he doing this?' It was very strange. For a second, I was like okay 'have I gone back in time?' Something that really sticks out is in difficult times, you know that irrespective whatever it may be, past, present, future, jo bhi ho (whatever happened), the way he was there."
Arbaaz has often proven to be the best family man around who is there for his ex-wife and son. Sharing a relationship of respect, trust and friendship, his bond with Malaika and Arhaan is wholesome and lovely.