Bollywood actor and dancer Malaika Arora’s journey from screen to savvy entrepreneur is a story of instinct, passion, and the courage to evolve. She recently added another feather to her cap as the founder
of an elevated lifestyle and accessories brand – Maejoy. It has been created in collaboration with Exceed Entertainment and Myntra Jabong.
We recently sat down with Malaika Arora to speak to her about her entrepreneurial journey. The Bollywood celebrity has 3 restaurants under her belt, with Scarlett House in Juhu and Bandra, and has also recently opened a new restaurant in Khar called Sweeney.
The actor-turned-businesswoman went on to share how her move from in front of the screen to behind the scenes has been a natural career progression and even shared her advice for budding entrepreneurs.
Watch the entire video here:
Q: You have changed your entire work life around, from being on the silver screen to now having restaurants and now Maejoy. What made you take the plunge into becoming an entrepreneur?
MA: I think it was a natural progression, not something that I premeditated. I think everybody’s life trajectory has a certain something that they’re looking forward to, and you want to build, and I felt being in the business, being on screen, on television, etc, opened up multiple opportunities, which I didn’t quite think it would. One thing led to the other.
Of course, these are areas which I’m highly passionate about and very in touch with on a daily basis, whether it’s food, fashion or fitness. They are part of the person that I am and an extension of things that I am very passionate about.
Q: From being on screen to behind the scenes as an entrepreneur, there’s a lot of hard work that goes into it. It’s not always glamorous. What drives you and inspires you to pursue new challenges consistently?
MA: I want to constantly push the envelope, to see what I can do next. There will be hits and misses, highs and lows. That’s all part and parcel of life and being in the business. I look at it as a challenge every time. But I also feel if I don’t give it a shot and put myself out there, it’s never going to happen.
The other aspect is having a fantastic team. Every time I look forward to being part of some project, a new business or something I feel I can lend my name to, I think my team really helps to bolster it. They are there to guide me and tell me how we can put a particular idea together. So yes, I have to give them a lot of credit.
Q: One thing that you mentioned a couple of times is the fact that there will be failures. How do you move on from that?
MA: As an entrepreneur, I think moving on is the most important. You can’t revel or be bogged down by something which is not working. I don’t see any merit in flogging a dead horse. But of course, I’m not going to leave any stone unturned, and I will put in my 100% to make sure that it is a success. I’m going to make sure that every time I feel that if I’m not touching certain targets or I’m not achieving certain targets, I’m going to push harder to make sure that we achieve that.
View this post on Instagram
Q: A lot of your contemporaries, Shilpa Shetty with Bastian, Karan, Johan with Neuma, and even your sister, Amita, with Jolene By The Sea, are all restaurateurs. What makes the food space so enticing for Bollywood?
MA: I guess celeb-led brands always have a certain amount of curiosity brand value to them, the world over. Whether they are skin, beverage, or F&B. In terms of the food space in our country, I think food has always been such an integral part of our culture. Indians also love food, we know our food and enjoy it. We also love the idea of cooking, feeding and entertaining. It’s part of our culture, and I feel that’s one of the best things about being in India: every state you go to, it’s a different kind of foods, preparations and spices. So, why not explore that? I think India is literally bursting with opportunity, and we should make the most of it. We are booming in the food space.
Q: Coming to Maejoy, what was the inspiration behind launching your jewellery brand?
MA: This is something that has been brewing for a while, and when the opportunity came around, the minds came together; it kind of just fell into place. I had a free hand, whether it was design or understanding of the brand and marketing; I had a fantastic team behind me that bolstered me. My involvement with fashion has been well-documented. I don’t think that is something that I need to talk about, and this brand is just a perfect marriage.
Where the name is concerned, it is a mix of two words – Mae and Joy. We talk about Malaika Arora, which is actually how we came about the brand. Mae stands for my name, Malaika or Mala, and I want every person who picks up a piece of Maejoy to feel that joy, self-love and self-care; a sense of happiness in owning a piece of Maejoy.
Q: Talking about lab-grown diamonds, there are a lot of players in the market already, but makes your products unique?
MA: The lab-grown diamond space is something that people are gravitating towards. It is luxury at an affordable price. You don’t have to feel a certain sense of pressure, plus it’s sustainable. I also think that the market right now is ready for it. There are certain people already in the business, but you don’t have a Malaika piece.
I also feel really happy and proud that the price points, our designs, it’s beautifully curated. These are all items that you can actually do so much with. It goes from day to night and it is highly wearable.
Q: What would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs?
MA: I would say that there is so much happening right now, so take the plunge. You will never know if you don’t try. But of course, do your R&D, make sure that you have your your investors in place, but take that plunge. There will be hits and misses, but if you don’t try, you will never know.
