Before marrying Vignesh Shivan, Nayanthara had a relationship with Prabhu Deva. Widely recognized as the “Lady Superstar” in the South Indian film industry for her impactful performances, Nayanthara made a significant comeback after stepping away from acting for two years in 2011 for the sake of love. In her journey to find happiness, she shared insights into her decision to leave the film industry at that time, attributing part of her thought process to advice from her then-partner, Prabhu Deva.
Nayanthara sacrificed films while dating Prabhu Deva
In a candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Nayanthara reflected on her choice to exit the film scene in 2011. She shared, “I was at a stage in my life where I thought I had to make compromises to achieve love. I was young and quite vulnerable.” Prabhu Deva and Nayanthara dated for many years. While dating the actress, he was already married and the father of two children. Due to this relationship, there was an uproar in Prabhudeva’s married life and the actor’s wife also abused Nayanthara in public. She had even said that if Nayanthara came in front of her, she would kill her.
She elaborated on how her perspective on relationships was shaped by her experiences in the industry. The actress stated, “We’ve witnessed various types of relationships within our field. I don’t necessarily see that as negative; it’s just how the industry has functioned for a long time, including instances of second marriages. And, I naively believed that if you desired love, you needed to make concessions. I thought that if my partner wasn’t comfortable with my career, I should be willing to sacrifice for that love. That was my understanding of love at that time.”
Nayanthara acknowledged that this pivotal relationship with Prabhu Deva was crucial to her personal growth. She expressed gratitude for the lessons learned. The actress said, “Without that relationship, I don’t believe I would have discovered my true strength or understood my capabilities. It transformed me into a different person.”
Nayanthara-Vignesh Shivan marriage
Nayanthara found love again with filmmaker Vignesh Shivan. They met on the set of Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, a film he directed and produced with Dhanush. Their romance blossomed during the filming, and after dating for over eight years, they tied the knot in June 2022. The relationship between Nayanthara and Prabhudeva did not last long. In June 2022, the actress married director Vignesh Shivam. The couple also has two twin children. Nayanthara’s marriage and love story is also shown in the documentary.