Ismail Darbar reacts to backlash over wife converting after marriage, says son 'stands in pooja, puts tilak on forehead'

Composer Ismail Darbar's second wife Ayesha converted from Hinduism to Islam after marrying him. The composer addressed trolling around it.

Composer Ismail Darbar has addressed his interfaith family in the past. The composer’s second wife, Ayesha, was a Hindu before she married him and converted to Islam. In a recent podcast appearance, Ismail opened up about Ayesha’s life after marriage and addressed criticism of her converting.

Ismail Darbar on marriage to Ayesha

Ismail Darbar with wife Ayesha and son Imaan.

Ismail Darbar was married to Farzana, with whom he has two sons - Awez and Zaid. While married to Farzana, the composer tied the knot with his second wife, Ayesha, two decades ago. “20 years of my life have been very tough. But I salute Ayesha for bearing it with me. In fact, Sanjay Leela Bhansali was so close to my family that he told me that I am saved just because of my wife, and if it was not for her, I would have been finished,” the composer said in an interview with Subhojit Ghosh fir his YouTube channel.

Ismail addressed those trolling him and his wife for her conversion to Islam after their marriage and revealed their son has a Hindu name, too. “After one year of my marriage, my son was born, and Bhansali named him Imaan. And his Hindu name is Maan. When he goes to his maternal grandparents’ home, he’s called Maan there. He also stands in the pooja, puts a tilak on his forehead. I have taught him to respect the religion in which he was born, but also respect all the other religions,” the composer added.

Ismail Darbar began his journey as a composer in Bhansali’s Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in 1999, for which he won a National Award. He has composed music for around two dozen films in his career, notably Devdas (also directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali), Kisna, Shakti The Power, and Kanchi.