Changing the name is more like a fashion in Bollywood industry. While you are well aware that Akshay Kumar was Rajiv Bhatia, Dilip Kumar was Yusuf Khan, and Jitendra was once Ravi Kapoor. Well, these are the celebs you know about. Many celebs of the Bollywood industry have changed their name after joining the industry.
Here, we made a list of lesser-known names of Bollywood actors.
Ajay Devgan – Vishal Devgan
Ajay Devgan’s school name was Vishal Devgan. He changed his name to Ajay as there were many actors in the industry of the same name including Manoj Kumar’s son. Later, Ajay Devgan became Ajay Devgan when his family forced him to change it after consulting a numerologist.
Ashok Kumar – Kumudlal Ganguly
Legendary actor Ashok Kumar’s real name was Kumudlal Ganguly. People used to address him as Dadamoni in the industry. He finds his name Kumudlal Ganguly strange and he completely changes his name to Ashok Kumar.
Ayushman Khurana – Nishant Khurana
Ayushman Khurana’s real name was Nishant Khurana and his name was changed twice. This is normal because he is the son of an astrologer. This is the reason why Nishant Khurana became Ayushman Khurana and later Ayushman Khurana became Ayushman Khurana.
Annu Kapoor – Anil Kapoor
Do you know that the real name of the talented actor Annu Kapoor is Anil Kapoor. His name change makes sense because Anil Kapoor was an established actor. Furthermore, he did not want any confusion in the film Tezaab’s credit role in which he played an important role.
Bobby Deol – Vijay Singh Deol
The Deol brothers are famous in the industry with their surnames. Many people are not aware of the fact that Bobby Deol’s real name is Vijay Singh Deol. Most Star Kids have a nickname by which they are famous in the industry such as Bebo, Lolo, Chintu, Dugu, and many more.
Chunky Pandey – Suyesh Pandey
This may come as a shock to you but the real name of Chunky Pandey is Suyesh Sarda Pandey. He changed his name before making his Bollywood debut. The actor is famous for his comedic roles in films like Housefull Series, Aankhen, and Vishwatma.
Jai Kishan Kakubhai Shroff
Imagine the credits screen mentioning Jai Kishan Kakubhai Shroff as the lead actor. This seems a little odd. This is probably why he shortened his name to Jackie Shroff. There is no doubt that his charming personality goes with his little heroic name.
KK Menon – Krishna Kumar Menon
Just as Jai Kishan became Jackie Shroff in the Kakubhai Shroff industry, similarly in Bollywood, Krishna Kumar Menon became Kya Kya Menon. Do you know that he initially excluded Menon, but later used Kay Menon as his stage name.
Johnny Lever – John Prakash Rao Janumala
Johnny Lever’s real name was John Prakash Rao Janumala. He named himself Johnny Lever after a well-appreciated stand-up act for Hindustan Lever. He performed a mimicry at an official ceremony and then decided to change his name to Johnny Lever. He is one of the first stand-up comedians in India.
Vivek Oberoi – Vivekananda Oberoi
It is a funny story to tell that Vivek’s real name was Vivekananda and he dropped Anand as he was doing gangster movies and on-screen romance which hurts the dignity of the name established by Swami Vivekananda. Vivek revealed this in an interview.
Sunny Deol – Ajay Singh Deol
As discussed earlier, Deol Brother is famous in the industry by his nicknames. Sunny Deol was the most loved actor of his time. His real name is Ajay Singh Rathore. Sunny Deol started using his nickname in the film screen credits.
Tiger Shroff – Jai Hemant Shroff
Tiger Shroff’s real name was Jai Hemant Shroff. In an interview, he revealed that he used to cut people when he was young and that’s how he got the name Tiger. Furthermore, he said that the main character of the film Heropanti is similar to the character Tiger, as he continues with his surname.
Nana Patekar – Vishwanath Patekar
Nana Patekar’s real name was Vishwanath Patekar. Have you ever thought that a strange name like Nana would be so interesting in the entertainment industry. By the way, changing the name of Nana from Vishwanath was a big risk for the actor, but it went well and in favor of Nana Patekar.
