AR Rahman has been married to Saira Banu for almost three decades. They have three children - Khatija, Raheema and Ameen - from the marriage.
The news is that Saira has announced divorce from Rahman, adding that the difficult decision comes after significant emotional strain in their relationship. The woman's lawyer stated, "Despite their deep love for each other, the couple has found that the tensions and challenges have created an insurmountable gap, one that neither party feels able to bridge at this time."
In an interview a few years ago, Rahman said that he first met his future wife at a Sufi shrine.
"She was beautiful and gentle. We met for the first time on 6 January 1995, on my 28th 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 is anything but quiet," the music director said.
