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Time of India

Malayalam actress once-secret husband is astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla's Gaganyaan crewmate. Why they kept their marriage hidden for months. Who is Prasanth Nair?

In a rare moment where cinema met space, Malayalam actor Lena has tugged at the internet's heartstrings with an emotional Instagram post. The video shows her husband, Indian Air Force pilot and astronaut Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair , warmly embracing astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and the Axiom-4 crew as they returned from space. What made the reel even more moving was Lena's clever choice of background score—Hans Zimmer's iconic Interstellar theme, which gave the real-life footage a cinematic, almost surreal, touch. Who is Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair? As per the Axiom Space website, Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair is a decorated Indian Air Force test pilot and astronaut. A recipient of the prestigious Sword of Honour at the Hyderabad Air Force Academy. He was born on August 26, 1976, in Thiruvazhiyad, Kerala. He graduated top of his class at the US Air Force Air Command and Staff College in Alabama. Nair was among the four astronauts handpicked by ISRO for the Gaganyaan mission —India's first human spaceflight—and underwent rigorous training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia. On February 27, 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially revealed him as part of India's astronaut team. He served as the backup pilot for Axiom Mission 4 . Had astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla been unable to fly, Nair would have taken his place on the historic mission. Given his integral training role, he formed a close bond with the crew, making Shukla's emotional welcome all the more heartfelt. His secret marriage to Malayalam actress On February 27, 2024, Lena also revealed their secret marriage—news she had been legally required to keep under wraps until the official announcement of Nair's role. She confirmed that she married Group Captain Prasanth on January 17, 2024, in a traditional ceremony. The post included a montage of clips. About Malayalam actress Lena Actress Lena has worked in popular movies like Pushpaka Vimanam, Ouseppinte Osyath, Kanyaka Talkies, Spirit, Traffic and many other movies. She was last seen in Nancy Rani and has Valathu Vashathe Kallan in the pipeline. About Gaganyaan Mission India's ambitious human spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan, has now entered its final phase, with the country gearing up to send its first astronauts into space in early 2027. This milestone mission will see a crew of three Indian astronauts launched into a 400-km low Earth orbit for a three-day mission, culminating in a safe splashdown in Indian sea waters. The four Indian Air Force pilots, selected as astronaut-designates, have already completed their foundational training in Russia. They are currently undergoing mission-specific training in India, which includes rigorous assessments of their physical health, psychological fitness, and simulation-based readiness.