Farhan Akhtar reflects on how his daughters Shakya and Akira coped with his and Adhuna’s divorce: ‘I carry a heavy sense of guilt towards them’
Farhan Akhtar, who is married to Shibani Akhtar, shares a close bond with his daughters, Shakya and Akira from his first wife, Adhuna. Farhan and Shibani often hang out with them, his Instagram handle is proof. The Bhaag Milkha Bhaag actor recently shared that he feels tremendously guilty towards his daughters Shakya and Akira dealing with his and Adhuna’s divorce.
During a new episode of podcast Chapter 2, host Rhea Chakraborty asked Farhan Akhtar how his parents’ Javed Akhtar and his first wife, Honey Irani getting a divorce had an impact on him. She then connected it to how his daughters Shakya and Akira dealt with his separation from their mother, Adhuna and if it was difficult for them.
Farhan expressed that it couldn’t have been easy on Shakya and Akira as they believed that his relationship with Adhuna was “solid and perfect” and later got “fractured”. The actor-filmmaker admitted that his daughters have had some degree of anger and resentment as to why it happened. He added that with time, they will find solace as time passes.
“I feel tremendously guilty towards them when Aduna and I are divorced because it had nothing to do with them. So they are the kind of like collateral damage in some emotional way,” the Don 3 director said.
Meanwhile, Farhan’s wife Shibani Akhtar praised his family and how they accepted her as his spouse. Calling his family, “super-evolved and liberal”, Shibani shared that she has never made to feel like she is an outsider.
The actress-singer gave credit to Farhan’s daughters Shakya and Akira by saying that they have been raised to be super thinkers. His daughters are aware of the world and social environment around them and they have accepted the family construct which makes the path easier for her, she added.
Shibani continued that she feels quite lucky and grateful to the Akhtar household that she can have candid conversations with Farhan’s daughters and other family members.
For the unversed, Farhan Akhtar tied the knot with Bollywood hairstylist Adhuna Bhabani in 2000 after dating her for three years. The former couple announced their separation in 2017 after being married for 17 years. Farhan began dating VJ Shibani Dandekar in 2018 and the couple got married in 2022 in the presence of families and close ones.
On the work front, Farhan Akhtar made his directorial debut with Dil Chahta Hai and acted for the first time in Rock On! As an actor, Farhan has worked in movies like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Dil Dhadakne Do, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Toofan, The Sky is Pink, Luck By Chance, Karthik Calling Karthik, Shaadi Ke Side Effects, and more.
As a director, Farhan has also helmed Lakshya, Don- The Chase Begins Again, and Don 2- The King is Back. He recently produced Kunal Kemmu’s directorial debut Madgoan Express earlier this year along with Ritesh Sidhwani.
Farhan will now direct Don 3, the third instalment of his Don franchise. Ranveer Singh has stepped into Shah Rukh Khan’s shoes for the upcoming film. The actor-filmmaker is also bringing Priyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif, and Alia Bhatt’s Jee Le Zara in the future. As an actor, Farhan will be seen in an upcoming war drama, 120 Bahadur. Based on the Battle of Razang La, the film will feature him as PVC Major Shaitan Singh.
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