AR Rahman, wife Saira Banu part ways after 29 years

Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman and wife Saira Banu are parting ways. In a statement late Tuesday night (November 19), Saira Banu announced her separation from her husband.  The couple married on March 12, 1995, in Chennai.

Saira's lawyer issued a media statement, which read, “After many years of marriage, Saira has made the difficult decision to separate from her husband A R. Rahman. This decision comes after significant emotional strain in their relationship. 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."

'Grand thirty'

Later, Rahman took to platform X to say: “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.”

In an earlier interview, asked how he met his wife, Rahman had reminisced that his mother and sister had played matchmakers.

They first met Saira at a Sufi shrine in Chennai. “She was beautiful and gentle. We met for the first time on 6 January 1995, on my twenty-eighth birthday. It was a brief meeting. After that we mostly chatted on the phone. Saira speaks Kutchi and English and I asked her in English if she wanted to marry me. Saira was very quiet in those days. Now she’s anything but quiet," he said, as quoted in Nasreen Munni Kabir’s book, AR Rahman: The Spirit of Music.

Children react

Rahman and Saira Banu have three adult children — Khatija, Raheema and Ameen. Raheema shared her father's post on Instagram, asking followers to “keep us in your prayers.” She also reposted a Tamil message urging people to respect their privacy, reminding everyone that “it’s their personal issue.”

Ameen, 21, wrote in an Instagram story: "We kindly request everyone to respect our privacy during this time. Thank you for your understanding."

Khatija asked for the matter to be treated with 'utmost privacy and respect'.