Kiran Rao talks about bond with Aamir Khan's first wife Reena Dutta
text_fields
Kiran Rao said that she has an inclusive family and has a good relationship with Reena Dutta, Aamir Khan's ex-wife.
In a recent interview with The Week, she opened up about her relationship with Aamir Khan's first wife, Reena Dutta, and the inclusive family dynamics they share.
Kiran actively participated in Aamir's daughter Ira's wedding and highlighted that inclusivity comes naturally to them. She said, "It comes very naturally to us as people to be inclusive. My family was also at the wedding. It's something that we honestly didn't have to think about. We are a family. In fact, we have Monday night dinners where we all get together."
Kiran emphasised the genuine fondness they share as individuals, stating, "We also live in the same housing society. My mother-in-law stays upstairs, Reena lives next door, and Nuzhat (Aamir's cousin) also lives nearby. It's because we genuinely like each other as human beings. I hang out with Reena and Nuzhat independently of Aamir, too. My sisters-in-law live upstairs and I adore them. These are relationships you shouldn't lose if you get divorced. Aamir and I didn't have an acrimonious divorce; we may have parted as a couple, but we are very much a family."
Kiran also shared the thoughtful gift she received from Ira during the wedding – an oil painting of a street in Berlin, her beloved city. Expressing her surprise and gratitude, Kiran mentioned, "It's the street where Cafe Cinema is located. I didn't expect it. It was the sweetest gift she could give. In the middle of a wedding, amidst all the planning, to think of individual gifts that would appeal to each of us... We were in tears."
Kiran Rao, known for her directorial work, is set to make a comeback with "Laapataa Ladies" after a decade. The film, based on an award-winning story by Biplab Goswami, will hit theatres in March.
"Partnering with Aamir in Aamir Khan Productions (for Laapataa Ladies) has always been easy because he is very welcoming of opinions, he looks at me as a creative partner. It’s very heartening, because though everybody sees me as a wife or an ex-wife, if I didn’t have a very strong sense of self I would have been depressed by being reduced to just a wife. But, I have quite a laugh about it, honestly," she added.
Aamir Khan and Kiran announced their divorce in July 2021 after 15 years of marriage. They continue to co-parent their son Azad and maintain a strong family bond. Ira is Aamir Khan's younger child with his ex-wife Reena Dutta.