3 min readChennaiFeb 25, 2026 09:50 PM ISTIsmail Darbar is best known for his work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali.Music composer Ismail Darbar, known for his past collaborations with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali in iconic films like Devdas and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, recently opened up about his second marriage to wife Ayesha, who earlier went by Preeti. He spoke about how she stood by him during the toughest phase of his career and also shared insights into how his son follows both Hindu and Muslim rituals.Speaking to Subhojit Ghosh on his YouTube channel, Ismail reflected on the challenges he faced over the years and credited his wife for being his pillar of strength. He said, “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.”Talking about his son, Imaan Ismail Darbar, the composer shared how his youngest son embraces both religions with equal respect. He said, “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 tilak on his forehead. I have taught him to respect the religion in which he is born, but also respect all the other religions.”ALSO READ | Rs 8.46 crore monthly revenue: How Amit Jain’s top 3 Shark Tank India investments are outperforming the big spendersIsmail Darbar first married Farzana, with whom he has sons Awez and Zaid Darbar. While Awez is a popular social media influencer and choreographer, Zaid Darbar is an actor and is married to popular actor Gauahar Khan. Ismail then married Ayesha, and they share a son named Imaan.Earlier, Ismail Darbar had spoken about marrying his second wife Ayesha while he was still married to Farzana. He also addressed Ayesha’s conversion to Islam and clarified that he did not force her to change her religion. Speaking to Vickey Lalwani about allegations of cheating on Farzana and how she had confronted him about getting married the second time in front of his friends, Darbar said, “The thing is that she never expected me to do something like this. In any case, I was giving her the signal for around 10 years.”He further added, “Our differences were at a peak. I had actually moved out and had been living in a different house for two months… I didn’t tell her anything, and I straight away went and got married to Ayesha in Surat.”Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:Ismail Darbar