AR Rahman and wife Saira Banu announced their separation on Tuesday night to the shock and dismay of the composer’s fans. The couple has been married for 29 years and have three children together. As they shared individual statements about the end of their marriage, social media users dug out an old interview of Rahman talking about how it all began. (Also read: AR Rahman gets emotional after announcing separation from wife Saira Banu: ‘In this shattering, we seek meaning’)

When Rahman spoke about his marrige to Saira

In 2012, Rahman was a guest on the popular chat show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal. The host, Simi, asked him why the composer opted for an ‘arranged marriage’ instead of finding a girl himself. “To be honest, I didn’t have the time to go and search for a bride,” said a smiling Rahman, causing Simimto to chuckle. He added, “I was doing all those films – Rangeela , Bombay and all that stuff. I was so busy, but I knew that was the right time to get married. I was 29. And I told my mother. I said find me a bride.”

As Simi asked him if he had ‘any specifications’, Rahman responded, “I want a simple wife—the one who won’t give me much trouble—so I could carry on doing my music.” Simi then reminded him that he had also asked his mother to find her a bride with “some education, some beauty and loads of humility.” Rahman smiled and nodded in response.

When asked how Saira came into the picture, Rahman revealed that his mother found Saira’s sister near a Sufi shrine. From there, one thing led to another, and soon they were married.

AR Rahman and Saira Banu’s separation

On Tuesday evening, Rahman and Saira announced their separation after 29 years of marriage, chalking it down to ‘significant emotional strain in their relationship’. The couple married in 1995 and are parents to three children – Khatija, Raheema, and Ameen. The couple has requested privacy in a joint statement that was shared by their lawyer.