AR Rahman’s recent news of his divorce from his wife, Saira Banu, appears to have opened a pandoras box. The well-known artist and his spouse shocked fans by announcing their decision to divorce after 29 years of marriage in a joint statement released on November 19, 2024. However, what left everyone truly scratching their heads was Rahman’s decision to place a bizarre hashtag on the post—#arrsairabreakup. Its inclusion has confused and drawn ire against Rahman as people begin to wonder if he is really interested in having their privacy at this sensitive juncture.
In the statement, Rahman and Saira expressed their heartbreaking decision to end their marriage. Yet, of course, the hashtag immediately attracted unwanted attention and transformed into something that should have been a personal affair into a public spectacle. Rahman’s decision to use the hashtag-posted on X (formerly Twitter)-with millions of users-seems to contradict the very message he proclaims. Rahman’s use of a hashtag effectively enabled the entire world to discuss, speculate, and analyze the couple’s private lives if they genuinely desired space and understanding.
Critics quickly pointed out the inconsistency between Rahman’s actions and his request for privacy.
One user quipped sarcastically that 2024 would remember Rahman AR Rahman announced divorce from his wife. “Requested privacy and then created a hashtag “#ARSairaabreakup”. Aise kaun privacy maangta hai bhai?” 2024 will go down history as the year AR Rahman created a hashtag to announce his separation (sic),” while another user wrote, “Don’t know who’s handling Rahman’s account, but the last thing to do when asking for privacy is to not create a page3-ish hashtag (sic).” The above comments reflect the general feeling that incorporating the hashtag instead of keeping mum has actually defeated the purpose of why the couple wanted privacy.
Rahman is usually known for his reclusive nature and reluctance to expose his personal life. But in this case, he appears to have deviated from that standard by fusing his personal suffering in a way that begs the question of what his actual goals are. He seems to have used a sensationalized hashtag to express his feelings and attract additional attention. Even while the phrase itself conveyed a deeply intimate moment of loss, the hashtag diverted attention from the situation’s emotional impact instead pushing it into celebrity gossip.
Despite Rahman’s heartfelt essay on the split, in which he reflected on the sadness of their relationship coming to “an unseen end,” the hashtag kept taking center stage. In his note, Rahman openly admitted the divorce of the two of them as the bitterest pain in his life. This only minimized the experience that was offered as a promotional hype rather than an actual heartfelt message. The use of such a hashtag in this particular situation did not only have it feel completely out of place; in doing so, it downplayed the emotional weight of Rahman’s words.
Separately, Saira’s lawyer underscores how the separation had devastated her emotionally. He says that Saira took this decision out of “pain and agony.” He also asked for some privacy during these trying times. However, through the hashtag, Rahman’s actions seem to contradict these very sentiments. Rahman’s social media posts, which expose the full scope of Saira and her lawyer’s personal troubles to the world, seem to contradict their request for privacy and compassion.
Rahman’s three children, Khatija, Raheema, and Ameen, have all sought privacy during these trying times. However, their father’s social media behavior continues to bring the family’s private life under the limelight. The question now is how can one truly ask for privacy when simultaneously publicizing the very personal heartbreak through tags made to get the attention? Through all the to-ing and fro-ing, Rahman has only fueled speculations, gossip, and endless rounds of unwanted public scrutiny, and in doing so, it has become fairly clear that his desire for privacy, at best, remains an illusion.
Ultimately, AR Rahman’s use of the hashtag, combined with his public posts, raises questions about his true intentions. While he may express a desire for privacy, his social media actions paint a different picture, one where the lines between personal sorrow and public spectacle blur, inviting more attention than he likely intended.