Shibani Dandekar opened up about becoming a part of Farhan Akhtar and his daughters’ lives. The popular host dated and married Farhan years after his separation from his first wife, Adhuna Bhabani. Farhan has two daughters from the marriage, Shakya Akhtar and Akira Akhtar.
Although, a stepmother to the girls, Shibani shared that she doesn’t get involved in the parenting of the children because the daughters already have an ‘incredible mother and father. Speaking with Rhea Chakraborty on her podcast, Chapter 2, Shibani praised Adhuna and said, “My approach was pretty simple. They have an incredible mother, they have an incredible father, the rest of us are just here to kind of fill in and support wherever we can.
That’s the way I see my role. Whatever the girls need, whenever their parents need my help, however they need that help, I am here for that.” Farhan and Adhuna were married for 17 years.
They tied the knot in 2000 and separated in 2017. Although Farhan and his wife Shibani Dandekar are often seen with his daughters, Adhuna – a renowned hairstylist – has moved away from camera’s attention after their split. Farhan accepted that the children were the ‘collateral damage’ during the divorce.
“It obviously couldn’t have been easy because eventually, at the end of the day, a relationship that they think in their mind is solid and perfect is being fractured. There will be some degree of anger even now within them, some sadness, some resentment of why (their parents separated),” Farhan shared. “And that is something, I guess, with time and with conversations, there will be some kind of solace and understanding that one can meet but for me, it was a huge part of.
.. I did feel tremendously guilty towards them when Adhuna and I divorced because it has nothing to do with them.
They are kind of collateral damage in some kind of way, for them emotionally,” he added. His confession comes days after he told Faye D’Souza in an interview that he was badly affected by his parents, Javed Akhtar and Honey Irani’s separation. Javed went on to marry Shabana Azmi.
He said that his parents’ separation had an impact on his marraige. Speaking with Rhea, Farhan admitted he was angry after his parents’ split. “I think I got very defensive post my parents’ separation, because kids were being pretty mean when we had fights, and kids don’t have that filter so they say anything that can hurt the other kid.
They are not aware of the psychological or emotional damage they are doing to someone. I think that’s the part that made me kind of angry–‘Why do I have to hear this?’” he shared..
