Actor Junaid Khan recently opened up about growing up in a blended family and how his parents, Aamir Khan and Reena Dutta, handled their divorce with maturity and emotional balance. Speaking about their separation in 2002 with YouTuber Vickey Lalwani, he reflected on how their approach helped shield him from conflict during childhood. “Our parents were fairly mature about it. Two good people aren’t necessarily always good together. I had two happy parents, even if they are not together, as opposed to unhappy parents together. So, I think it worked out,” he shared.
Junaid also revealed that, despite his parents’ separation when he was around seven or eight years old, he never witnessed any between them while growing up. “I must have been 7-8 years old, so obviously I didn’t see it coming. But another thing, mom and dad have always been on the same page with us. The first time I ever even knew that they could disagree on something was when I was 19,” he said. Recalling that moment, he added, “I don’t know what it was exactly about, but they had an argument over something. My dad asked me, ‘How old are you?’ My mom answered, ‘He is 19, now he can know we don’t agree on everything.’ With us kids, they were always on the same page; every conversation was them talking to us together, and it continued on. In fact, it happens sometimes even today.”
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Speaking further about the family dynamic, Junaid described Kiran Rao as “a lovely person” and said, “Yeah. Not tough at all. She is a lovely person, very sweet and warm. We always got along great. There were no apprehensions from our side at all. I think all the adults in this situation were behaving like adults, so it was very busy for us kids.” He also spoke warmly about Aamir Khan’s current partner, Gauri Spratt, saying, “Gauri is lovely, she is very sweet. I am genuinely really happy for him. I am not sure how long it was before he revealed it to the media. Eventually, it’s a personal relationship, and it will remain that way.”
Junaid further shared how relationships within blended families can evolve naturally over time. “I call Gauri by her name only. For the longest time, Kiran was Kiran aunty. And at one point, when we were 15-16, she asked me to call her by her name. We all live within a 100 mtr distance of each other,” he said.
Neha Cadabam, Senior Psychologist & Executive Director, Cadabam’s Hospitals, tells indianexpress.com, “Healthy co-parenting plays a critical role in a child’s emotional stability after separation.”
She adds that when parents maintain mutual respect, , and present a united approach to parenting, it creates predictability and emotional safety for the child. It also reduces feelings of guilt, divided loyalty, and anxiety, which are commonly seen in high-conflict separations.
Trust in blended families develops gradually and cannot be forced.
“What helps most is allowing relationships to evolve organically, maintaining open communication, and respecting the child’s pace and boundaries. Consistency, emotional availability, and absence of pressure often create a stronger foundation than trying too hard to immediately establish closeness,” explains Cadabam.
“Completely shielding children from all disagreement is not always necessary or realistic,” shares Cadabam, adding that witnessing respectful conflict resolution can teach children important emotional and communication skills. The key difference lies in the nature of the conflict.
“Exposure to aggression, hostility, or can be damaging, but observing adults navigate disagreements calmly, listen to each other, and repair conflict in healthy ways can actually model emotional maturity and resilience for children,” concludes the expert.
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