Farhan Akhtar reflects on how his parents’ divorce influenced his approach to separation and family life

Actor-director Farhan Akhtar has opened up about the impact of his parent’s divorce on his own life. In a recent interview, Farhan shared his experiences and the challenges he faced in navigating the complexities of his marriage and relationships.

Farhan’s parents, Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani parted ways when he was a child. This experience undoubtedly shaped his perspective on divorce and its effects on families. Reflecting on his separation from ex-wife Adhuna Akhtar after 15 years of marriage, Farhan explained that he was determined to handle the situation differently than his parents. He emphasised the importance of open and honest communication with his children, ensuring they understood that their parent’s decision to separate was not a reflection of their actions or behaviour.

“It was difficult. A certain aspect of it was of course that I had been through having divorced parents when I was a kid. I know what it felt like and there was a huge part of me that was like I cannot do this to my own kids. I felt that it came to a place that if Adhuna and I spoke to them openly and honestly, and explained to them why we were taking this kind of step, that it doesn't have anything to do with them. It’s not because of them, it’s not because of anything they did, they said, or because they are here,” Farhan said.

“This is something between two grown-up people, who as friends decided that this is something that they want to do. That’s the best we could do, but it’s something that I am going to have to live with for the rest of my life. It’s never going to entirely go away thinking about ‘Did they deserve this?’ It’s going to keep coming up. That’s something I guess I'll just have to live with,” he added.

Farhan and Adhuna announced their separation in 2016. They have two daughters together, Shakya and Akira. Following his separation, Farhan began dating Shibani Dandekar, and the couple married in 2022.

Javed, a renowned lyricist and screenwriter, was married to Honey Irani from 1972 to 1985. Their relationship ended in divorce, and Javed subsequently married actress Shabana Azmi in 1984. In a recent docuseries, Angry Young Men, Farhan shared his childhood experiences growing up with his father. He revealed that he felt ‘betrayed’ when his father married Shabana, as it was a difficult time for him to process.