AR Rahman announced divorce from his wife Saira Banu recently and that left everyone shocked. The composer has expressed his feelings on this separation and the heartbreak that comes with it, thus requesting for privacy during this time. Rahman and Saira have separated after 29 years of marriage. Here’s recalling the time when he had spoken about their relationship and why he opted for an arranged marriage.
Rahman had spoken about Saira during a chat with ‘Rendezvous With Simi Garewal’. When asked why he chose an arranged marriage, he said, “I didn’t have time to go and search for a bride but I knew it was the right time for me to get married. I was 29. And I told my mother ‘find a bride’.” He further revealed that his mother found Saira’s sister near a Sufi shrine and that led her to Saira.
He called their first meeting funny because till then, he didn’t have the intention to see a girl with that look. He further said, “I asked her if she would marry me or if she had anything else on her mind. She said yes. She said she liked one of my songs and we talked about that.”
The composer further described Saira as a person. “She is calm when she is calm. When she gets angry, she is angry. There are two sides of her. Initially, she used to get frustrated. I mean not going out… generally you can’t go out for shopping or other things,” said Rahman. That’s when Simi asked him if Saira had to make adjustments in their marriage. “I did tell her in the beginning what kind of life she is going to lead. She was in agreement before,” reacted Rahman.
