When AR Rahman talked about meeting his wife Saira for the first time on his 28th birthday: 'She was beautiful and gentle'

AR Rahman once opened up about the touching story of how he met his wife, Saira. He recalls their first meeting, their wedding, and how they beautifully blended their different cultures in their life together.
In an interview with Nasreen Munni Kabir, AR Rahman revealed at around twenty-seven, he felt it was the right time to get married, though he also felt older than he was. He shared that he had always been shy and didn’t talk much to girls. While working with many young female singers in his studio, he respected them but never thought of them as potential wives. Rahman was so focused on his work that he didn’t have time to think about relationships.
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The music maestro shared that it was his mother and sister Fathima who first saw Saira at the shrine of the Sufi saint Moti Baba in Chennai. Though his mother didn’t know Saira or her family, they lived nearby, so they casually walked over and spoke to her. The meeting was simple and easy.

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AR Rahman also talked about how his family reacted to his marriage. He explained that while he comes from a South Indian background, Saira is from a Gujarati family and grew up with North Indian traditions. He mentioned that, like any family, it was challenging for his family to adjust to someone new joining them. His mother, being protective, was particularly concerned, especially since they lived together in a joint family. However, after the birth of their eldest daughter Khatija in 1995, everything settled down.
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