A.R. Rahman and Saira Banu have announced their divorce after 29 years of marriage, through a joint statement issued by their lawyer.
The couple chose to separate after facing considerable emotional strain in their relationship over time.
In the wake of the divorce news, a vintage interview of A.R. Rahman has resurfaced, in which he discussed their first meeting and the early years of their relationship.
Rahman shared how his mother and sister influenced his marriage after he met Saira at a Sufi shrine in Chennai.
The couple first crossed paths on January 6, 1995, which also happened to be Rahman's twenty-eighth birthday.
Following their brief initial meeting, Rahman and Saira primarily communicated over the phone, with Rahman eventually proposing to her in English.
A.R. Rahman and Saira Banu tied the knot on March 12, 1995, in a ceremony held in Chennai.