Aamir Khan celebrated his 57th birthday on March 14. In a rare event, the perfectionist of Bollywood opened upon his personal life to an exclusive interview with News18. The star, who often stays away from parties, award shows and all forms of spotlights, opened up on his two failed marriages, his alcohol addiction, son Junaid's rumoured Bollywood debut and daughter Ira Khan's mental health struggle. Here we get a glimpse of everything.
On his failed marriages: "It's my biggest mistake, I forgot that my family was waiting for me."
Khan married his first wife Reena Dutta in 1986 and has two children—Junaid and Ira Khan. The couple parted ways in 2002 after 16 years. He then married Kiran Rao and had a son, Azad Rao Khan. They filed for divorce in 2021 after 15 years of marital life. Opening up on his failed marriages, Khan blamed himself for not spending quality time with the family as the key reason. "Today I realise, people who were close to me, I couldn't give them time the way I wanted to. They are important to me," he was quoted saying.
He added, "I have given all my time to my work and I made that relationship very strong. I thought my family was with me anyway. I just wanted to win the hearts of the audience at the time. And, I got completely lost, so much so that I forgot my family was waiting for me." He also elaborated on how every kid needs their parents' support but he was too focussed on his work. "Today, Ira is 23 but when she was 4-5, I wasn't there for her. When she needed me the most, I wasn't by her side to hold her hand when she would get scared. And, I know that moment will never come back," he said.
When Kiran gifted him the best birthday present:
The Taare Zameen Par actor also revealed that he and Kiran still share the same love and bonding but not as husband and wife. "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," he confessed. Khan also revealed that he received his best birthday present when Kiran gave him a list of pointers on his drawbacks and weakness.
Junaid's Bollywood debut in cards:
The actor confirmed that his son Junaid is hit with the acting bugs for a longtime. The star kid has been attending screen tests and has even got rejected 15-20 times. Interestingly, Aditya Chopra's Yash Raj Films has offered him a role after a screen test.
Ira's mental health struggles:
In 2020, Aamir's daughter Ira opened up on her mental health struggles. Opening up on the issue, the actor revealed that she has been fighting it bravely and has improved. He further stated that he cannot comment more on her struggles as he feels only she has the right to speak about it.
On quitting alcohol:
Aamir has quit alcohol totally. "I used to drink on occasions, but whenever I did sit down to drink, I would down the entire bottle. And I felt that that was not okay."
