‘His mother is still my mother-in-law’: Kiran Rao on her bond with ex-husband Aamir Khan, his family; calls Ira and Junaid Khan ‘friends’

Kiran Rao recently shared that throughout their marriage, she and Aamir Khan never engaged in serious fights and only occasional arguments that were always resolved.

Kiran Rao during the wedding festivities of her former husband Aamir Khan and his first wife Reena Dutta’s daughter Ira Khan. Kiran and Aamir’s son Azad is also seen. (Image: Kiran/Instagram)

Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao’s relationship perfectly illustrates the strength of the idiom “bow out while you’re at your best.” Even after their divorce in 2021, they have remained artistic and creative partners and also close friends. Interestingly, Kiran recently shared that throughout their marriage, they never engaged in serious fights and only occasional arguments that were always resolved. She also spoke fondly about the strong bond she shares with Aamir’s mother Zeenat Hussain.

“It (the separation) happened smoothly because it took us time to reach a place where we were ready to be divorced. We worked on our marriage really well for a long time. Even when we decided to get divorced, it was done very mindfully. We never fought. We would have arguments from time to time, but nothing that wouldn’t be resolved within 12 hours. Those were the same kind of disagreements one might have with their parents,” she said during a chat with Filmfare.

“We knew there was too much to save in this relationship; we didn’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We worked it out in such a way that it wasn’t like chopping a rope in half, but more like untying it. We took our time and untied it gently. Hence, there was closure in some ways. There was also a sense of building the confidence of the family and Azad’s support system, ensuring that he never feels the emotional repercussions of this,” she added.
Kiran also emphasised that their love and respect for each other remain intact. “We don’t want to be married, but that doesn’t mean we don’t like or love each other. In any marriage, there will be things you don’t like about your spouse. There will be things that bother you about the other person — some trigger that always gets you going and leads to fights. But there are also reasons why you married this person and things you love about them,” she explained.

“He’s my friend and, in many ways, my teacher. He’s my support system and has always been that for me. But there are days when he infuriates me. In the end, it’s about what you choose to hold on to: do you want to keep the bad vibes or what worked for many years? We chose to keep the best parts of our relationship and let go of what didn’t work by getting divorced,” the Laapataa Ladies director said.

Kiran Rao Is ‘Happily Divorced’ From Aamir Khan: ‘His Mother Is Still My Mother-In-Law’

Aamir Khan’s ex-wife, Kiran Rao shared some heartwarming revelations about her beautiful bond with Aamir Khan and his family despite being divorced.

Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao continue to redefine modern relationships. Despite their divorce in 2021, the former couple remains steadfast creative collaborators and close friends. Recently, Kiran made some more heartwarming revelations about her bond with Aamir Khan, stating that they are ‘happily divorced’.

Kiran Rao shares that her divorce with Aamir Khan was a ‘mindful’ one

In a heartfelt conversation with Filmfare, Kiran spoke about her amicable separation from Aamir Khan. The two started dating when Kiran was working as an assistant director on the sets of Lagaan (2001), a cult period sports drama and Aamir’s first production venture. The couple got married in 2005 and welcomed their son, Azad in 2011 through surrogacy. After 16 years of marriage, they amicably parted ways and finalised their divorce in 2021. Talking about the separation, Kiran told Filmfare:
“It (the separation) happened smoothly because it took us time to reach a place where we were ready to be divorced. We worked on our marriage really well for a long time. Even when we decided to get divorced, it was done very mindfully. We never fought. We would have arguments from time to time, but nothing that wouldn’t be resolved within 12 hours. Those were the same kind of disagreements one might have with their parents.”

Kiran further shared that she and Aamir still loved each other, and that fact still has not changed. The Laapataa Ladies director shared how, by no longer being in the marriage, they were able to avoid each other’s dislikes and triggers. She was quoted as saying:
“We don’t want to be married, but that doesn’t mean we don’t like or love each other. In any marriage, there will be things you don’t like about your spouse. There will be things that bother you about the other person — some trigger that always gets you going and leads to fights. But there are also reasons why you married this person and things you love about them.”

Kiran praised Aamir for his unwavering support and described him as her ‘friend and teacher’. Their love and respect for each other have remained intact, and she still considers Aamir’s mother her mother-in-law. In Kiran’s words:
“His mother is still my mother-in-law and his kids (Junaid and Ira) are my friends and very dear to me.”

Aamir Khan claims to be a romantic at heart, and he maintains good relations with both of his ex-wives

On January 10, 2025, Aamir appeared at the grand trailer launch event for his son, Junaid Khan’s theatrical debut, Loveyapa, co-starring Khushi Kapoor. During the event, Aamir swore he was a ‘mushy romantic’ person, and stated that his ex-wives, Reena Dutta and Kiran Rao would testify to it. For the unversed, Aamir had been previously married to Reena Dutta, long before his Bollywood breakthrough. The couple married in 1986 and had two children, Junaid Khan and Ira Khan. After a long span of marital bliss, they separated in 2002, and soon after, Aamir started dating his second wife, Kiran Rao.

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Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao’s ‘happily divorced’ status is a shining example of relationship goals in modern times!