Ten days after one of the quietest, most intimate weddings Bollywood has seen in recent memory, Aamir Khan finds himself at the centre of a very loud controversy. He has now chosen to address it head on. The actor married long-time partner Gauri Spratt on July 5 in a private ceremony at his Pali Hill residence in Mumbai’s Bandra, solemnised under the Special Marriage Act. Around 150 guests attended, including his children Junaid, Ira and Azad, as well as Gauri’s son.
The backlash came swiftly from two directions. Maharashtra BJP minister Nitesh Rane labelled the marriage an instance of “love jihad,” suggesting Hindu society ought to reflect on such personal choices made by public figures. Separately, Maulana Ibrahim Hussain, the Shahi Chief Mufti of the Muslim Personal Darul Ifta, issued a fatwa against the actor, stating that a Muslim man cannot marry a non-Muslim woman under Sharia law unless she converts to Islam, and describing the marriage as impermissible.
The backlash came from two directions. Maharashtra BJP minister Nitesh Rane labelled the marriage an instance of “love jihad,” whereas Maulana Ibrahim Hussain, the Shahi Chief Mufti of the Muslim Personal Darul Ifta, issued a fatwa against the actor, stating that a Muslim man cannot marry a non-Muslim woman under Sharia law unless she converts to Islam, and describing the marriage as impermissible.
Responding to both in an interview with Rediff, Aamir said, “The truth is that ours is a very inclusive family. Both my sisters are married to Hindus; my daughter is also married to a Hindu. My cousin Mansoor is married to a Christian.” He clarified that none of the women he has married converted to Islam, because all three marriages were civil. “Neither Gauri, Kiran nor Reena converted their religion, as we had civil marriages. Gauri is not even Hindu, she is Christian, and not even a practising Christian at that. Life is getting more comical as time passes,” Aamir shared.
Aamir had first publicly acknowledged the relationship on his 60th birthday, revealing they had known each other for 25 years before reconnecting more recently.