Singer Kanika Kapoor’s marriage to Gautam Hathiramani, who hails from the richest family in Lagos, is over. The singer, who seamlessly straddles the world of high society and the grit and grind of Bollywood with elan, has called it quits. According to close friends of Hathiramani, he is devasted at the break-up even though he was aware from the beginning that Kanika has always been a free-spirited lady who flew though the world giving performances from St Tropez to London to Mumbai, sometimes all in a week.

Kanika had a previous marriage to London-based Dr Jaspreet Singh Chandok, general practitioner, from whom she has three children. They had divorced in 2012. Her deep friendship with Gautam over the years culminated in love and marriage in 2022.

But bonding between a successful and popular songstress and a serious businessman who cannot move out of Lagos because of business commitments brought its own share of disenchantment and unmatched expectations.

Kanika’s official statement, which she posted on her social pages, reads, “After much thought and consideration, my husband and I are going our separate ways. I am grateful for the time we shared and wish him well for the future. I sincerely ask for kindness and respect for our privacy as we move forward.”

In an exclusive chat with Mumbai Mirror, Kanika dismissed the rumours swirling around. When we spoke to Kanika, she said she was at Manish Malhotra’s atelier getting fitted out for her appearance at his Diwali party.

“I have not found anybody else and to the best of my knowledge, neither has Gautam. For me this is my second time round for a divorce and that brings its own grief and disappointment. To say that I did not want to stay in Lagos is not true and it’s so typical – that when a marriage falls apart, the first person to be blamed is the woman – which is unfair. Only two people in a marriage know what exactly transpires between them. I am in Mumbai right now working on three exciting projects. I have three children that I need to take care of. I hope to keep my future interactions with Gautam amicable as I am not an aggressive person. I think he would wish the same.”

People still recall the lavish wedding ceremonies of the couple that was held at the V&A Museum in London. Guests jetted in from all over the world for the nuptials. It had all the trappings of a fairytale wedding with Kanika’s children playing bridesmaid and best boy at all here ceremonies.