Entertainment · Celebrity · 3 hrs ago
Renu Desai challenges criticism of women remarrying after Pawan Kalyan split
Actor-director Renu Desai has spoken out against criticism of women who consider remarrying.
Her comments come as Telugu star and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has separated from his third wife, Anna Lezhneva, after 13 years of marriage.
Desai and Kalyan were married from 2009 to 2012 and have a son and a daughter together.
After their divorce, Desai said she might remarry, prompting criticism from some of Kalyan’s fans.
She challenged the idea that men can marry again while women should remain alone, saying she wanted companionship rather than a stereotypical romance.
Desai has also said she faces trolling and is often reduced to the label of Kalyan’s ex-wife.
Her remarks highlight the unequal scrutiny women can face over relationships, while no further developments are given.
Pawan Kalyan has been married three times, and his marriages and relationships with his former wives have drawn public attention.
He married actor-director Renu Desai in 2009, and they divorced in 2012.
He married Anna Lezhneva, a Russian citizen, in 2013; the Indian Express reports that they have since separated after 13 years of marriage.
Desai has spoken about being criticised and trolled because of her past marriage to Kalyan.
She challenged what she described as a double standard over men and women remarrying.
- Who
- Telugu actor and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and his former wives Renu Desai and Anna Lezhneva.
- What
- Kalyan has spoken about his first two marriages and his relationships with his ex-wives. Desai has spoken about criticism over the prospect of her remarrying.
- When
- NDTV said Kalyan spoke about his first two marriages three years before its November 10, 2026 report. Desai discussed her views in a 2017 interview.
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- Desai said she faced criticism and trolling over her past marriage and the possibility of remarrying, and objected to what she called a gender double standard.
Renu Desai
Pawan Kalyan's fans who criticised her
Remarriage
Renu Desai
Desai said she might remarry and that she wanted a companion.
Pawan Kalyan's fans who criticised her
Some fans criticised her and said she would lose their respect if she married again.
Gender expectations
Renu Desai
Desai said society allows men to marry multiple times but treats it as a sin for women to consider another relationship.
Pawan Kalyan's fans who criticised her
Not stated
Pawan Kalyan and Renu Desai married.
Kalyan and Desai divorced.
Kalyan married Anna Lezhneva.
Desai discussed her relationship with Kalyan and her views on remarriage in an interview with ABN Telugu.
The Indian Express reported that Kalyan and Lezhneva had separated after 13 years of marriage.
- First marriage
- Pawan Kalyan married Renu Desai in 2009.
- Divorce
- Kalyan and Desai divorced in 2012.
- Second marriage
- Kalyan married Anna Lezhneva in 2013.
- Children with Desai
- A son and a daughter.
- Children with Lezhneva
- A daughter and a son.
- Reported separation
- The Indian Express said Kalyan and Lezhneva separated after 13 years of marriage.
2 sources
What people are saying
I think even he wouldn’t deny that I came the closest to understanding him.
In our society, a man can do anything and can marry any number of times, but it is a sin for a woman to even think about another relationship. Should a woman live alone for life with regret?
Until last year, my mind was completely shut off: no marriage, no love. Even now, I don’t care much for love. I mean, I don’t expect the stereotypical romance. But I do need a companion.
he is “not a bad person.