Slumdog Millionaire composer A.R. Rahman splits from wife of 29 years as they confess 'pain and agony'
- Have YOU got a story? Email [email protected]
Oscar-winning film composer A.R. Rahman has split from his wife of 29 years Saira Banu, with the pair citing an 'insurmountable gap' that has grown between them.
Banu and Rahman married in Chennai in 1995 and welcomed three children together - daughters Khatija and Raheema and son Ameen.
In a joint statement issued by Banu's divorce lawyer, the estranged couple stated that 'they have taken this decision out of pain and agony.'
Rahman, 57, posted an individual statement of his own, requesting privacy and writing: 'Even the throne of God might tremble at the weight of broken hearts.'
He has been a major figure in Indian cinema since the 1990s, working extensively in Bollywood and the Tamil film industry, among others.
In the West, he is perhaps best known for the soundtrack to Slumdog Millionaire, which earned him Oscars for best original score and best original song.
Oscar-winning film composer A.R. Rahman has split from his wife of 29 years Saira Banu, with the pair citing an 'insurmountable gap' that has grown between them; pictured 2011
News of the divorce broke in India late Tuesday night when Banu's lawyer Vandana Shah posted a joint statement by the couple to Instagram.
'After many years of marriage, Mrs. Saira and her husband Mr. A.R. Rahman have made the difficult decision to separate from each other. This decision comes after significant emotional strain in their relationship,' the statement began.
'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.'
The statement continued: 'Mrs. Saira and her husband Mr. A.R. Rahman emphasize that they have taken this decision out of pain and agony. 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.'
Rahman posted a personal statement of his own to X, formerly Twitter, writing: '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.'
He added: '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 a touch that raised the eyebrows of some social media observers, he concluded by creating a hashtag for the divorce: '#arrsairaabreakup.'
Classically educated in both Indian and western music, Rahman rose up in the Indian film industry in the 1990s, becoming particularly well-known for his collaborations with the Tamil director Mani Ratnam.
His Bollywood hits of that decade included Chaiyya Chaiyya, a generation-defining song for Indian millennials, set to the visual of movie stars Shah Rukh Khan and Malaika Arora dancing on top of a moving train.
In the West, he is perhaps best known for the soundtrack to Slumdog Millionaire, which earned him Oscars for best original score and best original song; Dev Patel pictured in the film
In a joint statement issued by Banu's divorce lawyer, the estranged couple stated that 'they have taken this decision out of pain and agony'; pictured this July
Rahman won Academy Awards for both the instrumental score of Slumdog Millionaire and for Jai Ho, a song he wrote for the film with the lyricist Gulzar
Chaiyya Chaiyya garnered enough international attention that Spike Lee used a hip-hop remix of it in his 2006 thriller Inside Man starring Denzel Washington.
However Rahman's most significant burst of fame in the West came in 2008 for the score of Danny Boyle's Hollywood drama Slumdog Millionaire.
He was especially feted for the song Jai Ho, with music by Rahman and lyrics by the poet Gulzar, who also wrote the words to Chaiyya Chaiyya.
Rahman won Academy Awards for both the instrumental score of Slumdog Millionaire and for Jai Ho, and went on to earn a further two Oscar nominations for Boyle's 2010 survival drama 127 Hours starring James Franco.
Amid news of Rahman's marital separation this week, Indian media seized on recent remarks that Banu's lawyer made about Bollywood marriages in general.
'Their lives are very different,' said Vandana Shah, an advocate with years of experience handling showbiz divorces in India.
She made the comments on the podcast The Chill Hour, in an episode posted just days before it emerged Rahman and his wife have split.
'I don’t think infidelity is the cause of a lot of breakdown of marriages. What is the cause of that marriage breakdown, okay? One is boredom in a marriage, because you have seen it all,' alleged Shah.
His Bollywood hits include Chaiyya Chaiyya, a generation-defining song set to the visual of movie stars Shah Rukh Khan and Malaika Arora dancing on top of a moving train
'They move on from one marriage to the other because of boredom. And that is very, very sort of peculiar to Bollywood and super-rich families. So I feel that is one thing which I’ve not seen in a lot of other marriages.'
She alleged further that 'adultery happens very much,' to the point that 'one-night stands really don’t matter as much.'
Shah claimed that people in showbiz marriages 'live very, very different sexual lives, which are not out there, which are not put out there,' and that 'the expectations from a sex life are much higher in these setups than maybe a normal person’s marriage.'
She also noted that interference from 'others who are not part of the marriage,' such as members of either spouse's family, can contribute to a divorce.
