Aamir Khan recently spoke about his heartbreaking split from his first wife, Reena Dutta. Speaking candidly in a recent chat with The Lallantop, Aamir shared how their 2002 separation didn’t just end a marriage, it shattered him emotionally. It spiralled him into depression and a battle with alcohol he couldn’t control.
“When Reena and I separated, that evening I finished an entire bottle of alcohol, and for the next 1.5 years I drank every day. I never slept. Mai behosh hojata tha daaru peeke (I would lose consciousness due to heavy drinking). I was trying to kill myself,” Aamir confessed.
Aamir Khan Struggled with Alcohol Following Divorce
Aamir Khan and Reena Dutta’s love story began as teenage neighbours. The two often watched each other from their windows and eventually fell in love. Aamir Khan, smitten, once wrote a love letter in his own blood—a move that failed to impress Reena Dutta at the time.
Still, the couple secretly tied the knot and welcomed two children, Junaid and Ira. Reena Dutta even made a brief appearance in his debut film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak.
Recalls Irony of Being Called ‘Man of the Year’
The divorce took a heavy toll on Aamir Khan’s mental health. He stopped working, avoided social contact, and lived in isolation. “I was not even working then. Neither did I care to meet anybody,” he said. Ironically, during that period, his film Lagaan released and a publication named him ‘Man of the Year.’ “I found it very ironical,” Aamir noted. With tears in his eyes, he sang lines from the song “Aapki Yaad Aati Rahi Raat Bhar” from the 1978 film Gaman, expressing his heartbreak.
Aamir Khan once told on Koffee with Karan, “Reena and I were married for 16 long years. When we split up, it was traumatic for us and our families… Reena and I did not lose love or respect for each other.”
After their divorce, Aamir married Kiran Rao in 2005. They had a son, Azad, before separating in 2021. He is currently dating longtime friend Gauri Spratt and remains on good terms with both ex-wives, co-parenting their children.
