- Renu Desai and Pawan Kalyan divorced in 2012 after their marriage and two children together
- Renu Desai compared her 14-year public association with Kalyan to Lord Ram's 14-year exile
- She highlighted her independent work post-divorce including producing and directing Marathi films
Actor, filmmaker, stylist and animal welfare activist Renu Desai and the the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Pawan Kalyan, got divorced in 2012. Even after 14 years, Renu is mostly seen in relation to Pawan Kalyan in the public eye, the actor alleged. During a recent conversation, Renu Desai compared her situation with that of Lord Ram's exile of 14 years. She said she can't foresee when her plight will end as the public perception about her still revolves around Pawan Kalyan.
"For Telugu people, here's something about my life. I was born only in June 1999, when I came for Badri. Before that, I didn't really have a life. That's how people do it," she said on the Vishal Talks podcast.
"It's been 14 years. Even Lord Ram was in exile, but for only 14 years. When will my exile end?" asked the actor.
Renu Desai said Telugu audiences treat her as though her life began when she arrived in Hyderabad for the Pawan Kalyan-starrer Badri and she did nothing 'before' that.
"We divorced back in 2012, right? After 2012, I produced a Marathi movie that was a super hit. Then I wrote, produced, and directed another movie. I did a dance show, wrote poetry, now I'm doing films. If I'm nobody, why would anyone call me?" she said.
Talking about the relentless troll on social media and constant scrutiny over her marriage and subsequent divorce from Pawan Kalyan, Renu said, "People are scolding me, saying I'll save a dog. They call it a waste in Telugu. She should have nothing to live for without him."
Pawan Kalyan is currently the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and the president of the Jana Sena Party. He married actress Anna Lezhneva in 2013 after his divorce from Desai. While he shares a son with Anna, Renu Desai and Pawan Kalyan have two children: son Akira and daughter Aadya.
Renu Desai started her career as a model in Mumbai, competed in Femina Miss India, appeared in over 30 advertisements and featured in the music video Breathless.
She appeared in two Telugu films, Badri (2000) and Johnny (2003), both opposite Pawan Kalyan. She was also the production designer on Johnny.
After her divorce in 2012, she produced and directed a Marathi film, served as a judge on Drama Juniors for Zee Telugu, acted in Tiger Nageswara Rao (2023), wrote poetry and shot a Telugu film titled Kashi Majili for ETV. She runs an animal rescue NGO that provides free treatment for stray dogs and cats.