"We genuinely like each other as human beings."
Kiran Rao addressed her equation with her ex-husband Aamir Khan after their divorce.
The couple met during the production of Lagaan (2001) which starred and was produced by Aamir. Kiran worked as an assistant director on the film.
Following Aamir’s divorce from his first wife Reena Dutta in 2002, Kiran and Aamir married in 2005. They were married for 16 years.
During their relationship, they had a son named Azaad Rao Khan, through surrogacy.
Kiran Rao’s divorce from Aamir shocked fans when they announced their separation in 2021.
However, the former couple admirably maintain a close relationship, co-parenting their son as well as continuing their professional equation.
Kiran was a key guest at Aamir Khan’s daughter Ira’s wedding.
Delving into the ease of her relationship with her ex-husband, Kiran Rao explained that their connection is natural and honest. She said:
“It came naturally to us because we started off working together, and even after we became partners, we continued working together.
“We understand each other in a way that goes beyond just the marital relationship. We are creatively very close.
“We also share similar opinions on many issues. We had a very familial, honest relationship.
“That’s something that you can’t erase and you don’t want to because that’s the basis for our relationship.
“We never even had any acrimonious fallouts or big fights. We just wanted to redefine our relationship.
“We wanted to remain a family, but not be married. So, we just made our own rules.
“I don’t think relationships can be given social tags.
“This just happens to be unusual for people, that two divorced individuals want to continue working together, live in the same building, have meals often, etc.
“I would not have been happy if the dissolution of our marriage had resulted in the end of our relationship.”
Kiran continued to state that Aamir is respectful of her professional opinions.
She expressed: “He has sought my opinion on many occasions.
“I suppose since we think similarly on so many levels, I have also been able to influence him.
“Though he’s always been the person who follows his own path, he values my opinion quite a lot. And it’s nice to hear that.
“It’s something that we honestly didn’t have to think about.
“We are a family. In fact, we have Monday night dinners where we all get together.”
The director asserted her closeness with the Ghajini star, adding:
“We also live in the same housing society. My mother-in-law stays upstairs, Reena lives next door and Nuzhat (Aamir’s cousin) also lives nearby.
“It’s because we genuinely like each other as human beings.
“I hang out with Reena and Nuzhat independently of Aamir, too.”
“My sisters-in-law live upstairs and I adore them. These are relationships you shouldn’t lose if you get divorced.
“Aamir and I didn’t have an acrimonious divorce; we may have parted as a couple, but we are very much a family.”
In the current world, relationships can be very fragile. When they end, it can sometimes set a trap for awkwardness and hostility for the people involved.
Kiran and Aamir should be commended for maintaining such a cordial equation even after the end of their marriage.
On the work front, Kiran Rao’s second directorial film Laapata Ladies is scheduled for release on March 1, 2024. Aamir has produced the film.
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