Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan and filmmaker Kiran Rao have announced their divorce through a joint statement 15 years after their marriage.
The couple said that they will co-parent their son, Azad Rao Khan, as well as continue with their professional partnership on Paani Foundation and ‘other projects that (they) feel passionate about’, reports the Hindustan Times.
“In these 15 beautiful years together we have shared a lifetime of experiences, joy and laughter, and our relationship has only grown in trust, respect and love. Now we would like to begin a new chapter in our lives - no longer as husband and wife, but as co-parents and family for each other,” the statement reads.
It adds that Aamir and Kiran separated ‘some time ago’ and added that despite living apart, the couple will ‘nurture and raise’ their son Azad Rao Khan together.
“We began a planned separation some time ago, and now feel comfortable to formalise this arrangement, of living separately yet sharing our lives the way an extended family does. We remain devoted parents to our son Azad, who we will nurture and raise together,” the statement said.
“We will also continue to work as collaborators on films, Paani Foundation, and other projects that we feel passionate about. A big thank you to our families and friends for their constant support and understanding about this evolution in our relationship, and without whom we would not have been so secure in taking this leap. We request our well-wishers for good wishes and blessings, and hope that - like us - you will see this divorce not as an end, but as the start of a new journey,” it added.
The 56-year-old actor, whose film about wrestling, "Dangal", made him the top Indian star in China, was divorced from actor Reena Dutta in 2002.
Aamir and Kiran, now 47, first met during the shoot of Lagaan in 2001, in which he played the lead role and she was an assistant director on. They tied the knot on December 28, 2005. Aamir was previously married to Reena Dutta and has two children, Junaid Khan and Ira Khan, with her.
Khan, a Muslim, is an activist for humanitarian and political causes and said in 2015 that growing "intolerance" against Muslims and intellectuals in India had led to Rao, a Hindu, suggesting they leave the country.
He has been working on a remake of the 1994 Hollywood hit "Forrest Gump", titled "Laal Singh Chaddha", which is provisionally due for release at the end of 2021.