When AR Rahman opened up about his arranged marriage with Saira Banu: 'She was very quiet in those days, now she’s anything but quiet'

Oscar-winning music composer AR Rahman and his wife Saira Banu have announced their separation after almost 29 years of marriage. The couple, who tied the knot on March 12, 1995, in Chennai, are parents to three children - Khatija, Raheema, and Ameen. While details surrounding their separation remain private, the announcement marks the end of a nearly three-decade-long journey.
AR Rahman had previously shared insights into their relationship and their arranged marriage. In a chat with Simi Garewal years ago, he explained how his mother played matchmaker due to his demanding work schedule. “I was 29, and I told my mother, ‘Find me a bride.’ Initially, she used to get frustrated. I mean not going out. I mean generally you can’t go out for shopping and...” Rahman had said.
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In another interview, Rahman recounted how his mother and sister introduced him to Saira Banu at a Sufi shrine in Chennai. “In 1994, when I was about twenty-seven, I decided that it was time to get married. For some reason, I started to feel old,” Rahman shared with Rahmaniac.com.

Reflecting on his early impressions of Saira, Rahman had added, “She was beautiful and gentle. We met for the first time on 6 January 1995, on my twenty-eighth birthday. It was a brief meeting. After that, we mostly chatted on the phone. Saira speaks Kutchi and English, and I asked her in English if she wanted to marry me. Saira was very quiet in those days. Now she’s anything but quiet.”
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Their wedding day in 1995 remains a cherished memory for Rahman. “Saira and I were married in Chennai on 12 March 1995, in the same building where I opened the AM Studios in 2006. I had a fixed smile on my face on my wedding day, and at the end of those three hours, I remember every muscle in my face ached,” he had recalled.

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The couple raised three children together, with their eldest daughter Khatija Rahman getting married in 2022. Rahman had shared a family photograph from the ceremony, which poignantly included a portrait of his late mother.
Their union, arranged by Rahman’s mother, had been a cornerstone of his personal life alongside his illustrious career.