Malaika Arora has requested privacy from media outlets and well-wishers through an official statement on social media after the death of her father Anil Kuldip Mehta.
“We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of our dear father, Anil Mehta...Our family is in deep shock by this loss, and we kindly request privacy from the media and well-wishers during this difficult time,” she wrote on Instagram on Wednesday.
The 50-year-old dancer-actress referred to her father, who reportedly committed suicide by jumping from a six-storey building in Mumbai, as “a gentle soul, a devoted grandfather, a loving husband and best friend”.
Signed by Malaika’s family members, including her mother Joyce, sister Amrita, and other close relatives, the statement also listed the family pets.
Bollywood celebrities Zareen Khan, Aditi Rao Hydari, Raveena Tandon, Saba Pataudi and Tahira Kashyap offered condolences in the comment section. Kareena Kapoor Khan, Saif Ali Khan, Ananya Panday, Chunky Panday, Arjun Kapoor and Arbaaz Khan had visited Anil’s house following the tragic incident on Wednesday.
On the work front, Malaika recently appeared in the second episode of her son Arhaan’s YouTube podcast Dumb Biryani. She also made a cameo appearance in Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti’s 2023 buddy drama Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, which starred Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, and Adarsh Gourav.
Malaika also served as a judge for Season 11 of the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, which aired on Sony Entertainment Television from November 2023 to March 2024.
