In a heart-wrenching announcement, Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman and his wife Saira Banu revealed their separation on X (formerly Twitter) about a week ago, leaving millions of fans in shock. While the couple requested privacy during this time, rumors of an alleged affair between AR Rahman and his bassist, Mohini Dey, started circulating. Saira Banu swiftly addressed the rumors, defending her husband, describing him as a “gem of a person.”
However, in a glimmer of hope for fans, Saira Banu’s lawyer, Vandana Shah, shared in a recent interview that reconciliation between the couple is still a possibility. “I have not said that reconciliation is not possible. I am an eternal optimist, and I always talk about love and romance. The joint statement is quite clear. It talks about pain and separation. It’s a long marriage, and a lot of thought has gone into coming to this decision, but nowhere have I said that reconciliation is not possible,” said Vandana.
Vandana also refrained from commenting on the matter of alimony and clarified that the custody of AR Rahman and Saira Banu’s three children, who are now adults, has not been decided, as they are free to choose where they wish to live. The couple had been married for 29 years and have three children together.