Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan were married for 16 years before they announced to the world that they were ready to get divorced but unlike many other couples falling apart, they had nothing but kind words for each other. In fact, the duo continued to work together in their films, they were often seen together at social gatherings and they even looked like a successful team when it came to co-parenting their son Azad. Many have wondered that if the relationship was as cordial as it is, why didn't they just stay together. In a recent interview with Faye D'Souza, Kiran was asked if she has ever been asked "why not just stay together if you are friends," the director immediately reacted and said "parents" suggesting that Aamir and her parents have pointed this out before. When Faye asked Kiran how she decided that "I am not going to stay together for the appearance," the director said that she was keen on "feeling independent again" and felt secure enough about her and Aamir's relationship to go ahead with this decision. Kiran had previously said that she and Aamir got married because of their parents. "Aamir and I lived together for a year before we got married and honestly, we did it more because parents and you know… all the rest of it and even at that time we knew that it’s a great institution if you can function as individuals as well as a couple within that institution," she told She The People TV’s YouTube channel. ALSO READ | Suriya and the 3 problematic films that established him as an exceptional actor and a potential heir to Sivaji Ganesan, Kamal Haasan "I felt secure in the fact that we have a strong enough relationship as co-parents, as family really, to survive the divorce. I would be able to also have my independent, individual individual time to myself and my life ahead without losing, for instance, the love of a partner, the security and comfort of knowing that Azad's dad is also my friend, is also my family," she said and added that it took her and Aamir some time to get there "mentally. emotionally." "Because we needed to be secure in the fact that we’re not going anywhere. We’re there for each other for the long term. It’s just that we don’t have to be married," she said. Calling it a "happy divorce," Aamir said that she has gotten all the support she can from both of their families and friends. She shared that they had been in each other's life for almost 20 years and knew that they did not need a legal document to declare their relationship. Kiran said that they got to a place where they could say that "I don't think we need a paper to say that we are married but we know what we mean to each other. This is a partnership that will stand the test of time despite a divorce."
