Chennai: On a day when AR Rahman was discharged from the Apollo Hospital here, his estranged wife Saira Banu requested fans not to address her as ‘ex-wife’ and wished the Oscar-winning music composer a ‘speedy recovery’.
Saira shared an audio message, in which she thanked the Allah that Rahman was fine after being hospitalised on Saturday night.
“Assalamualaikum. I wish him a speedy recovery. I received the news that he had chest pain and underwent angiography, and by the grace of Allah, he is fine now; he is doing well.”
Saira went on: “I want to tell all of you that we are not officially divorced, we are still husband and wife, it’s just that we are separated because I was not feeling well for the last two years and I didn’t want to stress him too much but please don’t say ‘ex-wife’. It’s just that we are separated but my prayers are always with him and I want to say one thing to everyone, especially his family, that please don’t stress him too much, and take care of him. Thank you, Allah Hafiz.”
Though Saira spoke about Rahman undergoing angiography, the musician’s spokesperson said that the latter felt unwell because of dehydration.
“He returned from London yesterday and felt unwell, so he went to the hospital for a check-up last night. However, according to the doctors, it was due to dehydration, as he has also been fasting for Ramzan,” the spokesperson told NDTV.
Rahman and Saira, who got married in 1995, announced in November 2024 that they have decided to part ways after 29 years of marriage.
Rahman, who has three children with Saira — son AR Ameen, daughters Khatija Rahman and Raheema Rahman – opened up on how ‘shattering’ it was to bear the ‘weight of broken hearts.’
“We had hoped to reach the grand thirty, but all things, it seems, carry an unseen end. Even the throne of God might tremble at the weight of broken hearts. Yet, in this shattering, we seek meaning, though the pieces may not find their place again. To our friends, thank you for your kindness and for respecting our privacy as we walk through this fragile chapter,” Rahman had posted on X three months ago.