Kochi, 28 Feb

Malayalam actor Lena on Tuesday revealed on her Instagram account that she has been married to Indian Air Force Fighter Pilot Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi named him as one of the four astronauts undergoing training for the groundbreaking Gaganyaan mission here.

The 'Sneham' actor also shared a photograph of her and Nair posing with the ISRO Chairman S Somanath.

In a post on the social media platform, she said she was waiting for this significant announcement to let everybody know that she had tied the knot with Nair through an arranged marriage on 17 January.

Lena said that Nair being awarded with the Astronaut Wing by the PM is a "historic moment of pride". "Today, 27 February 2024, our Prime Minister Modi ji Awarded the First Indian Astronaut Wings to Indian Air Force Fighter Pilot ,Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair . It is a historic moment of pride for our Country , our state of Kerala and Me personally.

"In order to maintain the officially required confidentiality, I was waiting for this announcement to let you know that I got married to Prasanth on 17 January, 2024 in a traditional ceremony through an arranged marriage," the actor said.

Nair's family, which is from Nenmara in Palakkad district, was not available for immediate comment.

Earlier in the day, residents of Nenmara erupted in joy as the Prime Minister unveiled the names of four astronauts which included Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair. The other three astronauts are -- Group Captains Angad Pratap, Ajit Krishnan, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla.