South superstar Chiranjeevi’s niece, Niharika Konidela’s divorce from Chaitanya Jonnalagadda, made headlines for quite some time when the former couple parted ways within less than three years of marriage in 2023. Even after around 2 years of their separation, speculations surrounding the once-perfect couple continue making rounds among fans. Now, Niharika’s father, veteran Telugu actor Naga Babu, has finally broken his silence about his daughter’s divorce from Chaitanya.
Naga Babu calls Niharika’s marriage with Chaitanya a ‘misjudgement’
The Telugu film industry was left in a state of shock when actress Niharika Konidela announced her separation from Chaitanya Jonnalagadda in 2023. The divorce sparked a wave of speculations when Chaitanya called her divorce story ‘one-sided’ after Niharika talked about her divorce and the pain of the separation in a podcast. Now, in a recent interview with Deccan Chronicle, Naga Babu chose to address the long-standing curiosity around his daughter’s split. He admitted to having misjudged the marriage and said:
“In Niharika’s case, my judgment was wrong. That marriage was our mistake; we couldn’t judge it properly. We didn’t force the marriage; when the proposal came, she said yes, and we thought it would be good. But they weren’t in sync, and they parted ways by mutual decision. I never tried or forced them to stay together. They weren’t happy and didn’t want to stay together, and I was okay with their decision.”
On Niharika’s career and plans to remarry
Niharika was a rising star of the South when her seemingly happy marriage fell apart. Her fans and well-wishers have since been concerned about the 31-year-old’s potential marriage plans in the future, and if so, when it would finally happen. Addressing the curiosity, Naga Babu clarified that Niharika is currently busy producing movies, but she might marry someone else at some point in her life.
About Niharika Konidela and Chaitanya Jonnalagadda’s divorce
Niharika Konidela tied the knot with Chaitanya JV in a grand fairytale wedding in Udaipur on December 9, 2020. However, within a year, reports of trouble in their marriage began surfacing in the media. The couple officially confirmed their separation in July 2023
After her separation from Chaitanya, in a podcast with Nikhil Vijayendra Simha in 2024, Niharika shared that she wanted to focus on herself and be there for her parents. She admitted to having always been emotionally dependent on them. Speaking about facing online trolling over her divorce, Niharika shared how her dad, Naga Babu, always prioritised her happiness over public opinion. In Niharika’s words:
“I am thankful I have a father like Nagababu who said he doesn’t care what anyone thinks and that I’m the best thing to happen to him, and I deserve to be happy. My divorce has shown me the value of family… Everyone gets married hoping it’s for a lifetime, but things weren’t what I expected. I am only 30, and I haven’t closed off my heart to love. But first, I want to be independent and work on myself before committing to a relationship. For now, I’m single.”
Meanwhile, Niharika Konidela continues to make waves on her professional front. She was last seen in the Tamil action thriller, Madraskaaran, which was released in January 2025.
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