Pawan Kalyan is the 55-year-old Telugu superstar who now also serves as the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. On 9 November 2026, he and his wife Anna Konidela announced their separation after 13 years of marriage, in a joint statement that described the decision as mutual and asked for privacy.
From his 1996 film debut to Gabbar Singh and They Call Him OG, and from founding the Jana Sena Party in 2014 to a landslide election win in 2024, he has built two parallel careers few Indian stars can match. This biography covers his age, height, films, politics, family, net worth and the separation.
| Full Name | Konidela Kalyan Babu (born Konidela Kalyan Kumar) |
| Age | 55 years old (born 2 September 1971) |
| Height | 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) |
| Birthplace | Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh, India |
| Occupation | Actor, politician — Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh |
| Known For | Gabbar Singh, Attarintiki Daredi, They Call Him OG; founder-president of the Jana Sena Party |
| Net Worth 2026 | ₹98.7 crore per his 2024 election affidavit (see Net Worth section below) |
Early Life
Pawan Kalyan was born as Konidela Kalyan Babu on 2 September 1971 in Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh, to Konidela Venkata Rao and Anjana Devi. He is the younger brother of Telugu cinema legend Chiranjeevi and actor-producer Nagendra Babu, and grew up in a family where cinema was the family business. He took the screen name Pawan Kalyan, with “Pawan” a reference to the wind god, and trained in martial arts, eventually earning a black belt in karate — a skill that would shape his action-hero image on screen.
He entered films in the mid-1990s as a young leading man with a rebellious, understated style, and his early films won him a devoted following among young audiences — a fan base that would later become the backbone of his political movement as well.
Acting Career
He made his acting debut with Akkada Ammayi Ikkada Abbayi in 1996, and his first major successes came with Tholi Prema (1998), Thammudu (1999), Badri (2000) and Kushi (2001). After a lean patch in the mid-2000s, he returned to the top with Jalsa (2008), the highest-grossing Telugu film of that year, followed by Gabbar Singh (2012), which won him the Filmfare Award for Best Actor, and Attarintiki Daredi (2013).
Later hits included Gopala Gopala (2015), Vakeel Saab (2021), Bheemla Nayak (2022) and Bro (2023). After Agnyaathavaasi (January 2018) he stepped back from films to focus on politics, returning only to complete earlier commitments; Hari Hara Veera Mallu, announced in 2020, finally reached theatres in July 2025.
His biggest box-office moment came with They Call Him OG, released on 25 September 2025. Directed by Sujeeth and co-starring Emraan Hashmi and Priyanka Mohan, the gangster drama collected about ₹90.25 crore in India on its opening day, including paid previews, and roughly ₹150 crore worldwide — the biggest Indian opener of 2025 at the time. Its opening-day haul surpassed the first-day numbers of films such as Ahaan Panday‘s Saiyaara, and the film went on to gross over ₹270 crore worldwide, according to trade tracker Sacnilk.
His most recent release, Ustaad Bhagat Singh, arrived on 19 March 2026, clashing with Dhurandhar 2. Directed by Harish Shankar and co-starring Sreeleela, it closed at about ₹97.25 crore worldwide, his lowest-grossing film of the post-COVID era, according to Koimoi. He has said he has signed no new films beyond prior commitments, and none has been announced. He has featured in Forbes India’s Celebrity 100 list multiple times since 2012, among the highest-paid actors in Indian cinema, alongside stars such as Shah Rukh Khan.
Political Career
He founded the Jana Sena Party on 14 March 2014 in Hyderabad, presenting it as a party built on accountability and governance. He did not contest the 2014 elections, backing the BJP–TDP alliance instead, and in 2019 he fought his first election — losing both seats he contested, while his party won just one of the 137 seats it fielded candidates in.
He spent the next five years rebuilding from the ground, taking up farmer welfare, illegal sand mining, women’s safety and land encroachment, and cementing an alliance with the Telugu Desam Party and the BJP. It paid off in 2024: the alliance swept to a landslide, and the Jana Sena Party won all 21 assembly seats and both Lok Sabha seats it contested. Pawan Kalyan himself won Pithapuram by more than 70,000 votes.
On 12 June 2024 he was sworn in as the 11th Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh. His portfolios include Panchayati Raj, Rural Development and Rural Water Supply, Environment, Forest, and Science and Technology.
Personal Life
He has been married three times. His first marriage, to Nandini in 1997, ended in separation in 1999 and divorce in 2008. He then married actress Renu Desai in 2009; they have two children, son Akira Nandan, born in 2004 and named after director Akira Kurosawa, and daughter Aadhya, born in March 2010. That marriage ended in divorce in 2012.
He met Anna Lezhneva, a Russian model and actress, during the filming of Teen Maar in 2011. They married on 30 September 2013 in Hyderabad under the Special Marriage Act, and have two children together: daughter Polena Anjana Pawanova and son Mark Shankar Pawanovich. He is widely reported to be a Hindu from the Kapu community.
Pawan Kalyan Net Worth 2026
His net worth in 2026 is best measured by his own election affidavit. For the 2024 Andhra Pradesh elections he declared total assets of ₹164.54 crore and liabilities of ₹65.84 crore, giving a net worth of about ₹98.7 crore, according to Oneindia. His assets include film earnings, property and cars reported to be worth around ₹14 crore.
Celebrity bio sites offer higher estimates, generally between $15 million and $22 million (roughly ₹116–187 crore), but none of those figures is backed by verifiable reporting. His income comes from his acting fees — he is among the highest-paid actors in Indian cinema — along with his salary as Deputy Chief Minister.
Separation from Anna Konidela (November 2026)
On the night of Monday 9 November 2026, Pawan Kalyan and Anna Konidela announced their separation in a joint statement shared with well-wishers, friends and family. “After sharing a significant part of our lives together, we have decided to part ways with mutual understanding and respect,” the statement read. “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 couple asked for understanding, kindness and respect for their privacy, and thanked everyone who had stood by them. The statement gave no reason for the separation. Reports citing Jana Sena sources said separation talks had gone on for months and a petition had been filed in a family court; as The Statesman noted, the joint statement itself made no reference to divorce proceedings.
The announcement came just two months after Anna had shared a loving message for Pawan on his 55th birthday on 2 September 2026, according to NDTV Profit. It brings to an end a marriage of 13 years — Pawan Kalyan’s third.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Pawan Kalyan?
Pawan Kalyan is 55 years old. He was born on 2 September 1971 in Bapatla, Andhra Pradesh.
How tall is Pawan Kalyan?
Pawan Kalyan is 5 feet 10 inches tall (178 cm).
Who is Pawan Kalyan’s wife?
Pawan Kalyan and Anna Konidela announced their separation on 9 November 2026 after 13 years of marriage. Anna Lezhneva, a Russian national, was his third wife; he was previously married to Nandini (1997–2008) and actress Renu Desai (2009–2012).
How many children does Pawan Kalyan have?
Pawan Kalyan has four children: son Akira Nandan and daughter Aadhya with Renu Desai, and daughter Polena Anjana Pawanova and son Mark Shankar Pawanovich with Anna Konidela.
What is Pawan Kalyan’s net worth in 2026?
About ₹98.7 crore, per the affidavit he filed for the 2024 Andhra Pradesh elections (assets ₹164.54 crore, liabilities ₹65.84 crore). Celebrity bio sites estimate $15–22 million, but those figures are unverified.
What is Pawan Kalyan’s political role?
Pawan Kalyan is the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, a post he has held since 12 June 2024. He is the founder-president of the Jana Sena Party, founded on 14 March 2014, and the MLA from the Pithapuram constituency.
