Namrata Shirodkar wanted to marry THIS person before getting hitched to Mahesh Babu

Namrata Shirodkar is best known now as the wife of Telugu actor Mahesh Babu, although she was rumoured to be in love with restauranteur Deepak Shetty when she first started acting. Namrata and Deepak had dated for over nine years and were thought to be living together. However, Deepak tragically died in 2008.

In a Rediff AMA from the 1990s, a fan asked Namrata if she would marry Deepak. The former model and actress wrote, ” Surely, soon will I marry Deepak we are just waiting for the right time.”However, the couple split up following this.

Deepak died a few years later. He perished in Goa while attempting to save another boy's life. Namrata's mother, Kunda, died of cancer that same year. 

Namrata had said in a chat with the Times of India, “There was just one time when I let my personal life overwhelm my professional one, and that cost me dearly. The relationship began before the Miss India contest and lasted nine years. But, it wasn’t meant to be. There was a void in my life after that, but I moved on. And we will always wish each other well.”

“You know, Aishwarya and I started our careers together. But she stayed on track, while I was diverted by this personal relationship, and it made me less ambitious. But I’m not bitter about anything. Perhaps, because I’m practical by nature, I don’t dwell on things. My sister Shilpa helped a lot too. She joined the industry at 14. She knew the importance of being professional and punctual. She told me to accept that dreams change, people change, but work is constantly fulfilling. And I’m happy, particularly now that the industry is sitting up and noticing me once again,” she said.

Namrata Shirodkar married Mahesh Babu in 2005 after dating for five years. She gave up acting after marriage as the actor did not want a working wife. They have two children, Gautam Ghattamaneni and Sitara Ghattamaneni. Namrata now resides in Hyderabad with her family.