Bollywood star Aamir Khan has responded to the controversy surrounding his recent marriage to Gauri Spratt, rejecting allegations of “love jihad” and saying none of his marriages involved religious conversion.
According to The Times of India, Aamir addressed the criticism in an interview with Rediff following his intimate civil wedding to Gauri at his Mumbai residence on 5 July, attended by close family, friends and members of the film industry.
Refuting the allegations, Aamir said his family has always embraced different faiths.
“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 said.
The actor also clarified that none of his wives converted to Islam. He said he and Gauri, as well as his previous marriages to Kiran Rao and Reena Dutta, were civil marriages.
“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,” he said.
The controversy escalated after Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane criticised Aamir’s third marriage and described it as “love jihad”. Later, Shahi Chief Mufti Maulana Chaudhary Ibrahim Husain of the Muslim Personal Darul Ifta in Uttar Pradesh reportedly issued a fatwa against the marriage, claiming it did not comply with Islamic law.
Aamir first introduced Gauri to the public during celebrations for his 60th birthday. He revealed that they had known each other for around 25 years but reconnected only a few years ago before beginning their relationship.
The actor was first married to Reena Dutta, with whom he shares two children, Ira and Junaid. After their separation, he married filmmaker Kiran Rao. The former couple have a son, Azad, and announced their separation in 2021.
