Few celebrity love stories have stood the test of time. One among them is of ‘Varanasi’ actor Mahesh Babu and Namrata Shirodkar’s love story. Their relationship began while filming the 2000 Telugu movie Vamsi and what started as a friendship on set eventually grew into a lasting romance.Mahesh was building his career in Telugu cinema at that time. Namrata had already established herself as a familiar face in Hindi films.What started as a professional association gradually turned into a close friendship.
A five-year relationship away from the spotlight
Mahesh and Namrata maintained complete privacy during the early years of their relationship. They stayed away from media attention and rarely spoke about their personal lives.According to Deccan Chronicle, Mahesh later looked back on those years and shared how their relationship evolved before marriage. He said, “I met her, we fell in love on the sets, and started seeing each other. We dated for five years before we got married.”The couple reportedly spent nearly five years together before deciding to marry. Throughout that period, they remained committed to keeping their relationship private.
An intimate wedding
Mahesh Babu and Namrata Shirodkar tied the knot on February 10, 2005, in a traditional Telugu wedding ceremony held in Mumbai. The wedding was attended by close family members and a small circle of friends.Following the marriage Namrata stepped away from her acting career and embraced family life. She later revealed that Mahesh had always been clear about wanting a partner who would not continue acting after marriage. She accepted that choice willingly.The couple welcomed their first child Gautam, in 2006. They became parents again with the birth of their daughter Sitara in 2012.Mahesh has often acknowledged the important role Namrata plays in his life, crediting her for keeping him grounded despite the pressures of stardom.On the work front, Mahesh Babu and Namrata recently presented the Satyadev starrer ‘Rao Bahadur,’ which is getting good reviews.