“Temperamental differences” have led painter Laila Khan, daughter of actor Feroz Khan, and her tennis player husband Rohit Rajpal to file mutual consent divorce petitions in a Delhi court. Laila, sister of Bollywood actor Fardeen Khan married Rajpal in December, 1998 under the Special Marriage Act (SMA). She then moved from Mumbai to Delhi to be part of Rajpal’s joint family.

The petition was moved recently before Additional District Judge Seema Maini, who has asked the couple to give one more chance to their marriage and to come back with their second plea in case they failed to reconcile the differences. “Both the petitioners, Laila Khan and Rohit Rajpal, are therefore, advised to try to live together and to patch up their differences. In case they failed to do so, they might move their second motion petition within the statutory period as per the law,” said ADJ Maini.

Though admitting the couple’s petition, the ADJ made it clear to them that their marriage could not be dissolved straight away in view of the provisions of the SMA.

As per the law, if the couple opts to move their second motion not earlier than one year and not later than two years from the date of filing their divorce petition, the court, on being satisfied with their contentions, may pass a decree dissolving their marriage.

Seeking separation, the couple has said in their petitions that there existed differences in their attitudes and temperaments and they had not been living together since September, 2006.