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Pawan Kalyan fondly called the “Power Star” of Telugu cinema has built an extraordinary career both in films and politics. Despite facing defeats in the past he scripted history in the 2024 elections and now serves as the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. But away from his political victories and box-office success his personal life has been no less dramatic. While Pawan is currently settled with his third wife Russian model Anna Lezhneva many wonder about the fate of his first marriage which ended more than 16 years ago. How did Pawan meet his first wife Nandini? In 1996 before his film debut Pawan trained at Satyanand Acting Institute in Visakhapatnam. Around that time he met Nandini the daughter of a well-known businessman from the city. Their families approved and in 1997 when Pawan was 26 and Nandini just 19 they tied the knot in a grand Hyderabad ceremony. Initially everything seemed smooth but by 1999 the couple began facing differences. Just two years into marriage they started living separately. What went wrong between Pawan Kalyan and Nandini? By 2001 Pawan had moved in with actress Renu Desai his co-star from several films. This strained his marriage further. Nandini accused Pawan of abandoning her while Pawan claimed it was she who walked out. The real turning point came in 2007 when Nandini filed a sensational case. She alleged that Pawan had secretly married Renu without divorcing her and filed a bigamy case against him. Pawan’s legal team denied the allegations insisting it was only a live-in relationship. With no solid proof the court dismissed the charges. Soon after Pawan officially sought a divorce from Nandini. How did the marriage finally end? After months of legal proceedings the couple divorced in August 2008. As part of the settlement Pawan reportedly paid Nandini a one-time alimony of Rs 5 crore. The case became one of the most widely discussed controversies of his career. Where is Nandini now? Post-divorce Nandini completely disappeared from the public eye. She later moved to the United States where she married an NRI doctor and changed her name to Jahnavi. Unlike Pawan’s second wife Renu Desai who often remains active on social media Nandini has stayed away from all publicity for the last 16 years living a private life abroad. Pawan Kalyan’s later marriages In 2009 Pawan married Renu Desai with whom he has two children Akira and Aadya. However their relationship ended in 2012. A year later in 2013 he married Anna Lezhneva a Russian model. They also share two children and are currently settled together. Highlights: Pawan Kalyan married Nandini in 1997 but separated within two years. Nandini accused him of bigamy in 2007 but the court dismissed the case. Today she lives in the US as Jahnavi away from media glare.