Honey Irani says Farhan Akhtar and Adhuna Bhabani’s divorce was ‘sad for all of us’, calls Shibani Dandekar ‘a lovely girl’

Honey Irani has opened up about son Farhan Akhtar’s separation from his first wife Adhuna Bhabani, his relationship with Shibani Dandekar, and the philosophy that has guided her as a mother through her children’s most personal decisions.Farhan Akhtar married Shibani Dandekar on February 19, 2022, in an intimate ceremony in Khandala after dating for nearly three years. Before that, Farhan was married to celebrity hairstylist Adhuna Bhabani for 16 years. The couple divorced in 2017 and share two daughters, Shakya and Akira. Farhan and Shibani first met in 2015 on the sets of the television show I Can Do That, which he hosted and she participated in. Following his separation from Adhuna, Farhan began dating Shibani in 2018.Recalling the time when Farhan and Adhuna decided to part ways, Honey Irani admitted the separation was emotionally difficult for the entire family.“It was sad for all of us — for Farhan and for Adhuna as well. But I feel, like I’ve said before, if something has to end, it’s better this way than carrying on with frustration, hurt and resentment,” she said in a recent interview with Vickey Lalwani.Honey revealed that the separation came as a shock to her.“No, I didn’t see it coming at all. It was quite sudden for me. I remember thinking, ‘Oh, this has happened?’ It was a shock,” she shared.She added that Farhan did inform her about the decision, though she was away at the time. “He did tell me, but I was in Coonoor at the time. I was informed about it, and later when I came back, we all sat and spoke — from both sides. I met everyone.”Speaking warmly about Farhan’s wife Shibani Dandekar, Honey Irani had only praise.“She’s superb — very nice and very friendly,” she said, adding later, “She’s a lovely girl. Really, a lovely girl.” Asked about her approach as a mother when it comes to her children’s personal lives, Honey summed it up with a clear, no-nonsense philosophy.“My only mantra in life is: if you are happy, I am happy. I don’t care about anybody else. That’s it. If the child is happy, what more do you want? If the mother is happy, what more do you want? It doesn’t matter what people will say, what they will think. Never think about that. Do what makes you happy. Just don’t hurt anybody,” she said. On whether Farhan spoke to her early on about his relationship with Shibani, Honey said he didn’t initially share details.“No, he didn’t tell me earlier. But them seeing each other was bound to come out at some point,” she added.