Malayalam actor Lena announces marriage to Gaganyaan astronaut Prasanth Nair

New Delhi: Malayalam actor Lena announced her marriage to Gaganyaan pilot Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair just hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the names of four Indian Air Force pilots who will participate in India's first human space travel programme, Gaganyaan.

She took to Instagram to share that, in order to maintain legally mandated anonymity, she was waiting for this announcement before revealing her marriage to him.

Lena confirmed that she married Prasanth on January 17, 2024. This marks the actress' second marriage.

Sharing a video, she wrote, "Today, on February 27, 2024, our Prime Minister, Modi ji, presented the first Indian astronaut wings to Indian Air Force fighter pilot and Group Captain Prashant Balakrishnan Nair. This is a historical moment of pride for our country, Kerala, and for me. To keep the secrecy officially demanded, I have been waiting for this announcement to inform you that I have married Prashant on January 17, 2024, in a traditional ceremony."

The couple can be seen wearing garlands and posing in traditional outfits beside their family members.

Earlier, PM Modi announced the names of the four astronaut designates who are undergoing training for India's first human space flight mission, Gaganyaan.

Apart from Captain Prashanth Nair, the other chosen Indian Air Force pilots are Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla.

The four astronauts were trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a visit to Kerala, reviewed the progress of the Gaganyaan mission and bestowed 'astronaut wings' on the astronaut-designates at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.

The Gaganyaan mission is India's first human space flight program, for which extensive preparations are underway at various ISRO centres.