AR Rahman's bassist Mohini Dey finally reacts to link-up rumours post his divorce with Saira Banu: '...he is like a father to me!'

AR Rahman announced his separation from his wife, Saira Banu, after 29 years of marriage, which left their well-wishers heavy-hearted. Following the divorce, rumours spread on the internet about a supposed relationship between AR Rahman and his bassist, Mohini Dey, who also divorced her husband, Mark Hartsuch, the next day.
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In an official response, Dey shared an official video and a statement to shut down the trolls who were spreading misinformation and making baseless assumptions.
In an Instagram video, Mohini Dey addressed the link-up rumors with the Oscar-winning musician. She called him her role model and father figure. She also mentioned that AR Rahman has a daughter of the same age as Dey, and that working with him as a bassist for over 8 and a half years had greatly shaped her career. She further added that they share mutual respect and love for each other. Dey asked people to be kind and respect their privacy, as their divorce was both personal and painful.
Along with the video, she added a lengthy note for her fans: “It is utterly unbelievable to see the amount of misinformation and baseless assumptions/claims against me & @arrahman. It feels criminal that the media has vulgarized the two events. I honor my time as a kid working with @arrahman throughout my 8.5 years with him on his movies, tours, etc. It's disheartening to see that people have no respect, sympathy, or empathy for emotional matters like this. It saddens me to see people’s state of mind. @arrahman is a legend, and he is like a father to me!"

She further stated, “I have many role models and father figures in life who have played vital roles in my career and upbringing. To name a few: My dad, who taught me everything about music (whom I lost a year ago), @ranjitbarot1, who introduced me to the industry, @louizbanksofficial, who shaped me, and @arrahman, who gave me the freedom to shine in his shows and musical arrangements during recording sessions. I cherish and treasure that and will always do so! Media/paparazzi do not understand the effect it has on people’s minds and lives. Be sensitive."
“I don’t owe anyone any explanations, but also, I don’t want this to brew and interrupt my day, so kindly stop with the false claims and respect our privacy,” she concluded.
AR Rahman and Saira Banu share three children: daughters Khatija and Raheema, and a son, AR Ameen. Defending the musician against allegations, Saira, in a voice note, shared that she has been "physically unwell for the last couple of months" and decided to "take a break from AR" to focus on her treatment in Mumbai. In the voice note, which was shared by her advocate Vandana Shah, Saira praised AR Rahman and asked people not to tarnish his name.
"This is Saira Rahman here. I'm currently in Bombay. I've been physically unwell for the last couple of months. So that's the reason I just wanted to take a break from AR, but I would request the entire YouTube YouTubers, the Tamil Media, please please do not say anything bad against him. He's a gem of a person, the best man in the world," said Saira.