21 November,2024 05:23 PM IST | Chennai | mid-day online correspondent
AR Rahman (L); Mohini Dey (R)
Music maestro AR Rahman is one of the most-loved composers in India. When he announced his separation from wife Saira Banu, fans were shocked to learn that they were ending their marriage of 29 years. The Mozart of Madras and his better half married in 1995 and share three children - Khatija, Raheema, and Ameen. The composer shared the news on his X account on Wednesday, where he stated that while they had hoped to reach their "grand thirty," life had other plans.
People have been speculating about the reasons for ending the marriage after so many years together. Mohini Dey, a bassist who has toured with AR Rahman for years, announced her separation from Mark Hartsuch hours after news of Rahman's separation broke. Many speculated that the two announcements were connected. However, the music composer's legal representative firmly denied any link. "There is no connection at all. Saira and Mr. Rahman made this decision independently," lawyer Vandana Shah told Republic TV.
Mohini Dey, a renowned bass player from Kolkata and a member of Gaan Bangla's Wind of Change, announced her split from her musician husband, Mark Hartsuch, via a joint Instagram post.
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Rahman and Saira have attributed their separation to "significant emotional strain" in their relationship. Lawyer Vandana Shah, in a podcast, has talked about reasons why celebrity couples opt for divorce. She mentioned that in Bollywood, it's usually not infidelity that causes separations, but rather boredom. According to her, celebrities often go through multiple marriages, quickly moving from one relationship to another. While one-night stands are quite common, the real problem is the monotony that leads to relationship failures.
Vandana stated, "Their lives are very different. I do not think infidelity is the reason for the failure of their marriages in Bollywood. The cause is boredom. They move from one marriage to another because of boredom, which is peculiar to Bollywood and super-rich families." She pointed out that this pattern isn't something she sees in many other types of marriages.
She added, "They all live very different sexual lives. The expectations of their sex life is much higher in these setups than a non-Bollywood marriage." She further explained, "Third, adultery happens very much and one-night stands don't really matter as much. I am not part of Bollywood, but these are my observations from the cases that have come to me."
Saira Banu's lawyer Vandana Shah released an official statement with regards to the couple's decision to separate. The statement read, "After many years of marriage, Mrs. Saira has made the difficult decision to separate from her husband Mr. AR Rahman. This decision comes after significant emotional strain in their relationship. 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."
