Kiran Rao says marriage can be ‘suffocating’, especially for women; opens up about divorce from Aamir Khan: ‘I knew that I needed my space’

Sharing her own experience  and how she dealt with it, she said she “took my sweet time so I didn’t have any worry about it.” She emphasised the role Aamir and their strong relationship played in helping her overcome the situation and deal with it better. “The thing is, Aamir and I were very strong and continue to have a very strong relationship as two humans. We are very connected to each other; we deeply respect and love each other, so that hasn’t changed, and so, therefore, I was not worried. I knew that I needed my space. I wanted to live independently, and I needed that to grow myself.”

 

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 Despite their separation, their continued camaraderie serves as an example of a healthy and respectful post-divorce relationship. The Dhobi Ghat director, who met Aamir on the sets of Lagaan, stressed that the two didn’t fear divorce because they  “care for each other and don’t have any problems or deep disagreements”. 

 

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In a recent interview with DNA, Kiran also shared how her equation with Aamir changed following their separation. “For me, it’s been quite easy at some level to manage the separation of having both personal relationships that are no longer marriage as well as professional. We decided that we wanted to change the definition of our relationship and end the social contract. We worked at it in a smooth way because we were conscious that Azad should not be, in any way, traumatised by this public breakup (sic),” she said.

Aamir, while speaking at ABP Network’s Ideas of India Summit, held in  February, also addressed his separation from Kiran and revealed that he asked Kiran for feedback after the couple parted ways.  He shared, “Ek mazedaar cheez hai. Hum log ka divorce abhi hua hai aap log ko pata hi hoga. Ek din shaam ko main baitha hua tha, maine bola Kiran, kya lagta hai as a husband mujhme kya kya kami thi? What can I improve abhi aage chal raha hu life mein. (Here is an interesting anecdote: We recently got divorced, as you all may be aware. In the evening, after we called it quits, I asked Kiran, ‘What did I lack as a husband? How can I do moving forward?’).”

The 3 Idiots actor said ex-wife Kiran gave him ’10-15 points’ of what he lacked as a husband after divorce. She complained, “Tum bolte bahot ho (you talk a lot).”