New Delhi:
AR Rahman and Saira Banu’s private lives are under public scrutiny ever since the couple announced their divorce, sending shockwaves to the music legend’s fans. Old videos have re-surfaced online and they are making all the noises. AR Rahman’s brother-in-law Rahman (actor of 1000 Babies) once revealed that the music legend loves to keep himself engrossed in his work in an interview with Siddharth Kannan. In the video, Rahman claimed, “I remember, when he got married, he took my sister-in-law for the honeymoon to a hill station. I called them that night; it was just 12 or 1… She answered, she was sleeping already. I asked, ‘Where is Rahman?’ She said, ‘I don’t know’. He was in another room, practicing his veena. He was composing something; he’s that kind of person.” Rahman also shared the music legend doesn’t want to talk much and he’s not into any kind of “gossips.”
On Tuesday night, Saira Banu’s lawyer Vandana Shah and Associates, issued a statement that read, “After many years of marriage, Mrs. Saira and her husband Mr. A R. Rahman have made the difficult decision to separate from each other.” Citing the reason behind this big decision, the statement read, “Despite their deep love for each other, the couple has found that the tensions and difficulties have created an insurmountable gap between them, one that neither party feels able to bridge at this time,” it further read, adding, “Mrs. Saira and her husband Mr. A R. Rahman request privacy and understanding from the public during this challenging time, as they navigate this difficult chapter in their life.”
Confirming the news of separation, AR Rahman wrote in X, “We had hoped to reach the grand thirty, but all things, it seems, carry an unseen end. Even the throne of God might tremble at the weight of broken hearts. Yet, in this shattering, we seek meaning, though the pieces may not find their place again. To our friends, thank you for your kindness and for respecting our privacy as we walk through this fragile chapter.” The Internet was not impressed with the hashtag at all, and the comments section is swamped with negative remarks.
AR Rahman and Saira Banu got married on March 12, 1995. They share three children – daughters Khatija and Raheema, and son Ameen. The music legend revealed in an interview that his mother and sister first saw Saira at the shrine of the Sufi saint Moti Baba in Chennai. “My mother didn’t know Saira or her family, but since they lived just five houses away from the shrine, they walked over and spoke to her. Everything happened very naturally,” he said.