Saira Banu, AR Rahman’s recently separated wife, slammed online content creators for spreading rumours about their separation, adding that the renowned music composer and Oscar winner is “the best man in the world.” Saira released a detailed voice note on Sunday, November 24 after YouTubers and other netizens spread offensive claims, such as calling her 29-year-old marriage to Rahman ‘love jihad’. She also said that she had chosen to separate from Rahman due to her ill-health.
In her voice note, Saira said, “I am currently in Mumbai. I have been physically unwell for the last couple of months. That’s why I decided to take a break from AR [Rahman]. I request all the YouTubers and Tamil media, please, please do not say anything bad about him. He is a gem of a person. He’s the best man in the world. It’s because of my health issues that I had left Chennai. I have come here to Mumbai to go ahead with my treatment. As I’m not in Chennai, everyone would have wondered where Saira is. This could not have been possible with AR’s busy schedule in Chennai. And I didn’t want to disturb anyone, neither him nor my children.”
Saira also added, “He is an amazing human being. Please just let him be the way he is. I trust him with my life. That’s how much I love him.” She further said, “Stop all the false allegations against him. It is my sincere prayer that we are left alone and given space. Stop tarnishing his name.”
The move comes a day after Rahman himself was forced to threaten legal action following the barrage of offensive rumours and speculations about the reasons he and Saira had separated. The legal notice stated that certain social media users and YouTubers had spread a series of “calumny” and “defamatory statements” targeting their private lives. The notice warned offenders to remove the objectionable content within an hour and a maximum time duration of 24 hours, or face a criminal defamation case under Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Rahman and Saira had announced their separation on November 20. At the time, the music composer had said in a statement: “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.”