When AR Rahman Revealed His Arranged Marriage 'Specifications': 'Want Simple Woman, Won't Cause Me Much Trouble'

Oscar-winning composer AR Rahman and his wife, Saira Banu, announced separation after 29 years of marriage. The duo tied the knot in 1995 and share three children—Khatija, Raheema, and Ameen.

Taking to his official X account, Rahman on Tuesday wrote, "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"

He also added the hashtag ARR Sairaa Breakup.

“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…

— A.R.Rahman (@arrahman) November 19, 2024

A few years ago, AR Rahman appeared on Simi Garewal's chat show and talked about his wedding to Saira and shared that his first reaction on meeting her was 'funny.'

On why he opted for an arrange marriage, Rahman said, "I did not have the time to go and search for a bride. I was doing all those films—Rangeela, Bombay and all those things. I was so busy with that, but I knew it was the right time to get married. I was 29. And I told my mother. I said: 'find me a bride.''

"Do you have any specifications?" asked Garewal.

To this, he said, "I want a simple woman. Which won’t cause me much trouble. So I can continue with my music," Rahman replied.

Garewal then reminded Rahman that he had asked his mother to find her a bride with "some education, some beauty, and a whole lot of humility." Rahman smiled and nodded in agreement.

"It was funny. Until then, I never had the intention of seeing a girl with that kind of look. So I asked her, 'Will you be interested in marrying me? Do you have anything else in mind?' and she accepted."

When asked about Saira’s personality, Rahman described her as calm but with two sides. "She is calm, and she’s calm, and she gets angry; she’s angry. There are two sides to her. Initially, she used to get frustrated. I mean, not going out. You can’t go out for shopping or, you know," he recalled.

When asked if Saira was finding it difficult to adjust initially, Rahman said, "I did tell her in the beginning what kind of life she’s going to lead. It was an agreement before."