Amidst the buzz of glitzy Bollywood celebrations, Kiran Rao graced the marital union of her stepdaughter Ira Khan with Nupur Shikhare, embodying the epitome of modern familial harmony. The event was marked by the attendance of film icon Aamir Khan’s extended family, which notably included his first wife, Reena Dutta, their son Junaid, alongside Kiran Rao and the son she shares with Aamir, Azad Rao Khan.
In a recent heart-to-heart with The Week, Kiran Rao shed light on her post-divorce relationship dynamics, underscoring the sustaining threads of family ties despite the cessation of marriage. Rao delineated, “We are all naturally inclusive. We all get together for dinners on Monday nights. We live in a community and our homes are all in the same housing society. I hang out with Reena and Nuzhat (Aamir’s cousin) independently of Aamir, too. 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. Even at the end of a marriage, you’ve put so many years in a relationship and that should count for something.”
Rao, who has herself been a significant contributor to the Indian film sector, then turned attention to the lighter moments that preluded the nuptials, details that revealed their collective penchant for culture and recreation. “We are a large family with varied interests, like music and sports. So, we had an obstacle course, and a sangeet where we teased each other,” she shared while recounting the pre-wedding festivities.
The ceremonial chapter of the Khan-Rao unit is etched back to the earlier days on the set of ‘Lagaan’, where their odyssey commenced—Aamir as the lead protagonist and Kiran as the assisting maestro. The collaborative bond flourished over a span of 15 years of marriage before their parting announcement in 2022.
On the professional front, Kiran Rao is steering excitement with the impending release of her directorial venture, ‘Laapataa Ladies’. The film’s trailer, casting Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastav, and Nitanshi Goel, has been warmly received, prompting plans for a premiere in Bhopal. The storytelling canvas Rao offers in this project is painted with the vivid hues of Indian narratives, which resonates with audience anticipation.
The outreach efforts for ‘Laapataa Ladies’ signal a commitment from the creative trinity— Aamir, Kiran, and the ensemble cast—to thread the cinematic experience through the diverse fabric of Indian locales. A recent update disclosed that Khan and Rao, alongside Ranta, Shrivastav, and Goel, have ventured to Bhopal. The City of Lakes played host to a special screening, magnifying the film’s outreach.
Meanwhile, the shared celebrations for Ira Khan’s wedding stand as a firm testament to the evolved blueprint of family the Khans and Raos honor—a modern mosaic where bonds transcend the traditional partitioning of roles and relationships.
Ira’s wedding not only bore the hallmark of joyous milestones but also echoed Rao’s sentiment—the beauty of preserving connections post the denouement of a union. This paradigm shift in Indian familial norms is emblematic of the broader cultural evolution, as echoed by celebrities’ personal lives. Kiran Rao’s steadfast viewpoint on nurturing affinity contrasts the stigmas often surrounding divorce, reinforcing the belief that whilst couples can part, the family foundation remains resilient. In this symphony of life’s complex arrangements, Rao, Khan, and their kin illustrate an inclusive approach to post-divorce kinship—one where respect and affection resonate beyond the peripheries of marital tenure.
