After 14 years, actor Kichha Sudeep, Priya head for splitsville

Bengaluru: Popular Kannada actor Kiccha Sudeep and his wife Priya on Friday filed a petition for divorce on Friday, sending shockwaves across the industry and his large fan base. The couple who have been married for fourteen years have sought a divorce through mutual consent.

Priya had recently skipped attending the birthday celebrations of Sudeep at their residence in J P Nagar recently, leading to speculation about a rift in their marriage.

Hailing from Kerala, Priya had earlier worked for an airline, and later for a bank before she fell in love and got married to Kiccha Sudeep in 2001. In fact, the actor married soon after his maiden success at the box office – Huccha which was also released in 2001.

Sources say that the ‘differences’ based on which the two have sought divorce by mutual consent, reached an irreconcilable phase after the launch of an event management firm -360 degree, partly managed by his wife picked up pace rapidly, while the actor was busy with his prime projects followed by his recent back to back successes at the box office.

Meanwhile the actor has said that Priya and he have sought a divorce through mutual consent with dignity due to differences. He said that it was a private matter and requested his fans and supporters to respect his privacy in these difficult times.

The couple is blessed with daughter Saanvi, who is now eleven years old, and reportedly the actor has proposed to not challenge the custody of his daughter to his wife. The actor who is largely seen as a ‘family man’ had quit smoking after his daughter Saanvi requested him to quit smoking. He even underwent an ayurvedic treatment to get rid of his habit.

Reports suggest that the actor has agreed upon the alimony which runs into more than Rs 10 crore. At present, Sudeep is busy with the ongoing cricket tournament Karnataka Premier League, which he co-owns. He also owns a team in the cricket celebrity league.

After his films Eega and Maanikya, his stardom rose to new heights with Ranna and a guest role in Baahubali. He also features in Vijay’s highly anticipated Tamil film Puli in which he stars alongside Bollywood actor Sridevi. The actor has reportedly given GPA (general power of attorney) to his sister to take care of his divorce matters before the family court.