AR Rahman and Saira Banu announced their divorce on November 19, 2024, and here's everything you need to know about their filmy love story and the 29 years they spent together in marriage.
AR Rahman and Saira Banu made a painful announcement on November 19, 2024, announcing their divorce after 29 years of marriage. The couple was on the verge of completing 30 years of togetherness, but destiny had other plans, and their separation was a huge shock to their fans. AR Rahman and Saira Banu always preferred to guard their personal life from the media, so no one knew everything wasn't going well in their paradise. Saira Banu's lawyer, Vandana Shah, shared a joint statement on the couple's behalf, in which she confirmed they were no longer together.
In the statement, Vandana Shah revealed that her client, Saira Banu, has decided to separate from her husband, AR Rahman, due to a lot of emotional strain in their marriage. Despite being so much in love with each other, Saira and AR Rahman face a series of difficulties, creating a gap between them. The lawyer also added that Saira has experienced immense pain and agony while making this decision and requests everyone to respect her privacy.
Soon after the official announcement of their divorce, AR Rahman also addressed his separation from Saira Banu with a heartbreaking note on X (formerly known as Twitter). The iconic music composer admitted that he and his ex-wife had hoped to reach the grand thirty, but they weren't aware of their unseen end. AR Rahman thanked people for respecting his privacy and used the hashtag, '#arrsairabreakup' in his tweet. The hashtag irked so many netizens as most of them found it a bit unnecessary and insensitive. An excerpt from his tweet can be read as:
"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."
For the uninitiated, AR Rahman and Saira Banu's wedding was an arranged marriage. Rahman's mother, Kareema Begum, found Saira for his son. However, finding a girl for her son wasn't a cakewalk for Kareema because AR Rahman had told his mother about the three qualities that he definitely wanted in his future wife. The three conditions were that the girl should be educated, beautiful from the inside, and must have humility. As per some reports, Kareema Begum was at a mosque one day, and she noticed a girl named Meher doing prayer.
When Kareema Begum enquired about Meher, it was revealed that she was the younger daughter of a renowned Chennai-based businessman. Kareema liked the girl so much that she went to Meher's home to talk to her parents. Upon reaching her home, Kareema met with Meher's father, and he told her that he had an elder daughter named Saira and she would get married first.
As a result, Kareema met Saira and found her suitable for her son, AR Rahman. Saira Banu and AR Rahman got married on March 12, 1995, in a traditional Islamic ceremony. The wedding ceremony was held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. In the following years, AR Rahman and Saira Banu welcomed three children, Khatija Rahman, A.R. Ameen, and Raheema Rahman.
Not everyone is aware of the fact that popular Malayalam actor, Rahman is married to AR Rahman's ex-wife, Saira Banu's elder sister, Mehrunnisa Rahman. In an old interview with a publication, Rahman shared a hilarious anecdote about Saira Banu and AR Rahman's honeymoon. Rahman revealed that when he called Saira during her honeymoon and asked her how everything was going, she told him she was sleeping. Listening to such an unexpected answer, Rahman asked her about AR Rahman, and she shockingly revealed that he was in another room, practising his veena. However, it was a hilarious revelation, and it speaks volumes about AR Rahman's dedication to his craft.
Once, in an old interview with The Times Of India, when AR Rahman was asked about his ex-wife, Saira Banu, he lauded her for how strongly she supports him. The composer revealed that he had already told his ex-wife that if a song came up in the middle of their planned dinner, he had to cancel the plan. AR Rahman added that he had this conversation with Saira Banu before their marriage, and the latter agreed to it. He said:
"We had a conversation before marriage, otherwise we would have separated long back. That was my orientation to her. I had told her, if we have planned dinner and a song comes up, we will have to ditch the dinner."
There's no denying that Saira Banu and AR Rahman are going through a traumatic phase in their lives at the moment. We hope their children are also dealing with this painful reality with courage. As of now, AR Rahman and Saira Banu have requested the media to respect their privacy while they're going through this difficult phase.
What are your thoughts on AR Rahman and Saira Banu's painful divorce after 29 years of marriage? Let us know.
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