‘I finished a bottle of alcohol...trying to kill myself’: Aamir Khan’s painful confession on first divorce

Bollywood superstar Amir Khan, known for maintaining a private personal life, recently spoke candidly about the difficult phase he endured following his divorce from his first wife, Reena Dutta. In a heartfelt conversation with actor Ranveer Singh on The Lallantop, Amir described that period as one of the darkest in his life.

Reflecting on his 2002 divorce, Amir revealed that it led him into a deep struggle with alcoholism and depression. “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. I would lose consciousness due to heavy drinking. I was trying to kill myself,” he confessed.

During this time, Amir was not working and withdrew from everyone around him. Despite this, his film Lagaan was released that same year. “A newspaper called me ‘Man of the Year, Amir Khan,’ which felt very ironic at that time,” he added.

Amir and Reena’s marriage lasted 16 years, during which they had two children, Junaid and Ira. Reena also appeared in a small role in Amir’s debut film Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak. They divorced a year after Lagaan.

Amir has previously spoken about the emotional impact their separation had on both families, sharing on the show Koffee With Karan that they tried their best to handle the situation with maturity. He emphasised that even after their divorce, they did not lose love or respect for each other.

Following his divorce from Reena, Amir married filmmaker Kiran Rao in 2005. The couple had a son, Azad, but divorced in 2021 after 16 years of marriage. Currently, Amir is in a relationship with his longtime friend Gauri Shinde.

Despite the separations, Amir maintains friendly relationships with both of his former wives.