AR Rahman and Saira Banu announced their divorce recently. This is not the first big profile celebrity divorces of recent times. From Dhanush-Aishwarya Rajinikanth, Aamir Khan-Kiran Rao, Seema Sajdeh- Sohail Khan to Naga Chaitanya-Samantha Ruth Prabhu, celebrity couples have grabbed headlines for terminating their marriage. While some have announced separation from their spouses, some have announced divorce. So what is the difference between the two in legal terms?

Difference between separation and divorce

The terms divorce and separation have two different meanings under the Hindu marriage act in India. Advocate Vedika Chaubey explains, "Separation is filed under section 10 of Hindu marriage act. Unlike divorce, it does not terminate the marriage. In divorce, everything is over and you cannot be treated like husband and wife. But in separation, even after they are legally separated they will remain husband and wife. In separation, the couples can mutually decide their living arrangement, the custody of children if they have and managing bank paperwork. There is no specific period for separation."