Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and actor Pawan Kalyan and his wife, Anna Konidala, have announced they are separating after 13 years of marriage.
In a joint statement posted late last night on Kalyan’s Instagram page, they said they made the decision with “mutual understanding and respect”.
They also said that the two would remain good friends.
“Though our marriage has come to an end, we remain good friends and devoted parents to our wonderful children. Their happiness and well-being will always remain our shared priority,” the statement read.
Addressing their well-wishers, the couple also requested people to respect their privacy during this personal transition.
“During this personal transition, we seek your understanding, kindness, and respect for our privacy. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has stood by us throughout this journey,” it said.
The separation marks the end of Kalyan’s third marriage.
Kalyan was previously married to Nandini in 1997, but the two separated in 1999. He later married actor Renu Desai in 2009, with whom he has two children, a daughter and a son, before their marriage ended in divorce in 2012. In 2013, Pawan married Anna, who is originally from Russia. They have two children together, Polena Anjana Pawanova and Mark Shankar Pawanovich.
Kalyan, the younger brother of actors Chiranjeevi and Nagendra Babu, made his acting debut with Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi in 1996.
He began his political career in 2008 as the president of Yuvarajyam, the youth wing of the Praja Rajyam Party (PRP), founded by his elder brother, Chiranjeevi. During his time with PRP, Kalyan did not contest elections or hold any constitutional post, though he actively campaigned for the party. Later, when PRP merged with the Congress in 2011, Kalyan expressed discontent and took a break from his political life.
In March 2014, Kalyan founded the Jana Sena Party and actively campaigned in the 2014 elections.
The party contested in the 2019 general elections in Andhra Pradesh in 140 constituencies, of which Kalyan contested two constituencies – Gajuwaka and Bhimavaram. He lost both seats to candidates from the YSR Congress Party. His party was able to win from Razole, making it the only seat it won in the election.
In the 2024 general and state Assembly elections, Kalyan played a key role in allying JSP, TDP and BJP by limiting the number of seats his party contested. The alliance swept to power in a landslide victory, with Jana Sena winning all of the seats it contested. Kalyan was sworn in as the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh on June 14, 2024.
