‘His mother is still my mother-in-law’: Kiran Rao on her bond with ex-husband Aamir Khan, his family; calls Ira and Junaid Khan ‘friends’

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“We knew there was too much to save in this relationship; we didn’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We worked it out in such a way that it wasn’t like chopping a rope in half, but more like untying it. We took our time and untied it gently. Hence, there was closure in some ways. There was also a sense of building the confidence of the family and Azad’s support system, ensuring that he never feels the emotional repercussions of this,” she added.

Kiran also emphasised that their love and respect for each other remain intact. “We don’t want to be married, but that doesn’t mean we don’t like or love each other. In any marriage, there will be things you don’t like about your spouse. There will be things that bother you about the other person — some trigger that always gets you going and leads to fights. But there are also reasons why you married this person and things you love about them,” she explained.

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“He’s my friend and, in many ways, my teacher. He’s my support system and has always been that for me. But there are days when he infuriates me. In the end, it’s about what you choose to hold on to: do you want to keep the bad vibes or what worked for many years? We chose to keep the best parts of our relationship and let go of what didn’t work by getting divorced,” the Laapataa Ladies director said.

Calling themselves “happily divorced” because they are enjoying this phase of their lives, Kiran also mentioned that they still consider each other’s family their own. “His mother is still my mother-in-law and his kids (Junaid and Ira) are my friends and very dear to me.”