Ismail Darbar opens up about interfaith family; says son participates in Hindu and Muslim rituals

Music composer Ismail Darbar is not one to shy away from speaking his mind or even letting fans in on his personal life. The composer, who made waves about marrying the second time, hit the headlines again, this time over his candid discussion about his interfaith marriage and how he raised his son to respect all religions.

Ismail Darbar on giving son Hindu and Muslim name

In a conversation on a YouTube channel hosted by Subhojit Ghosh, Darbar spoke about his youngest son, Imaan Ismail Darbar. Revealing that director Sanjay Leela Bhansali had named him, he went on to state that his son has grown up, learning to participate in both Hindu and Muslim rituals. He shared that his son's Muslim name is, Imaan while his Hindu name is Maan. He revealed, "When he goes to his maternal grandparents’ home, he’s called Maan there. He also stands in the pooja, puts tilak on his forehead.”

Ismail Darbar on raising son to respect religions

The composer went on to add that he has raised his son to respect all religions, saying, “I have taught him to respect the religion in which he is born, but also respect all the other religions."

Ismail Darbar on his marriage to Ayesha

During the chat, he also reflected on his second marriage to Ayesha, who reportedly converted to Islam after their wedding. Insisting that he never forced her to change her faith, he gave her due credit for supporting him through an especially difficult period in his career. He shared, “20 years of my life have been very tough. But I salute Ayesha for bearing it with me.”

Darbar added that filmmaker Bhansali, with whom he collaborated on films such as 'Devdas' and 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', once even told him, "I am saved just because of my wife, and if it was not for her, I would have been finished."Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”