'Took Reena & Kiran for granted, I wasn’t there for kids.' Aamir Khan’s candid confession on failing to ‘shoulder responsibilities'

One cannot do it all, even if he is Aamir Khan. The ‘Dangal’ star – who turned 57-year-old on Monday – in a recent interview revealed how his constant and undivided devotion to work has weighed on both his marriages. Taking accountability for his actions, the actor said that he didn’t ‘shoulder the responsibilities’ that were his, and he took his family for granted, as he completely immersed himself in work, and that’s a fact he regrets most at this age.

On the eve of his 57th birthday, the actor gave an interview to News18 in which he said he was an absentee father when his daughter, Ira, needed him the most. The ‘PK’ actor said, “Today, Ira is 23 but when she was 4-5, I wasn’t there for her. I was busy with films. Every kid needs their parents because when you are a child you have your own fears and hopes. But when she needed me the most, I wasn’t by her side to hold her hand when she would get scared. And, I know that moment will never come back.”

The actor further confessed that while has been able to build a good relationship with his audience over the years, he has paid for it with his family time, which is something he truly regrets. Khan has been married twice and he has two kids with first wife, Reena Dutta — Junaid and Ira Khan, and one son with Kiran Rao –Azad Rao Khan.

The actor said that while his shortcomings may have played a role in his two divorces, he has never been unfaithful to either of his wives, when he was married. The ‘Ghajini’ star said that there was no other woman when he had called it quits with Dutta and there isn’t a second woman now, as he and Rao are navigating a separation. However, he did accept that he didn’t shoulder as many responsibilities as he was supposed to, in both the marriages.

“Somewhere I didn’t shoulder my responsibilities. I would start with my parents, my siblings, my first wife - Reena ji, Kiran ji, Reena’s parents, Kiran’s parents, my children, all these people I am talking about are my close ones. When I was 18, when I joined the film industry, I got so absorbed, I wanted to learn so much, I wanted to do so much that I somewhere — today I realise — people who were close to me, I couldn’t give them time the way I wanted to. They are important to me,” the ‘3 Idiots’ actor confessed.

Talking about his divorce with Rao, Khan said that he and Rao love and respect each other and are family in the truest sense of the word, however, their equation as a couple has undergone a paradigm shift.

“… Actually, Kiran and I realised that we like each other so much and consider one another family in the truest sense. Kiran and I are actually families. But our relationship of husband and wife experienced a certain change and we wanted to respect the institution of marriage. However, we are always going to be by each other’s side. We are working together. We live close by. But we are no longer husband and wife and that’s why we decided to call it quits," he said.

The actor revealed that the reason he has been introspective is because he wants to know where he has gone wrong, so that he can correct himself. “All those whom I love and who love me, including you, the audience, everyone has their space. My aim is to give time to everyone, nurture every relationship, make it better," he added.

The actor celebrated his birthday with the media, a ritual he has been following for years. While his birthday celebrations would usually take place at his Bandra residence, Khan said he decided to shift the venue to a hotel due to COVID.

Khan will be next seen on the big screen on August 11 with ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’. The film marks his return to the screen after ‘Thugs of Hindostan’, which released in 2018 and bombed at the box office.