Kiara Advani was born Alia Advani, while Tiger Shroff’s real name is Jai Hemant Shroff. They are among several Bollywood stars who adopted new screen names before entering films. Here’s a look at five actors, their original names and why they changed
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Image Credit : Asianet News
Kiara Advani
Original name: Alia Advani
Before entering Bollywood, she changed her first name to Kiara after actor Salman Khan reportedly suggested avoiding confusion with Alia Bhatt, who had already established herself in the industry.
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John Abraham
Original name: Farhan Abraham
The actor was born Farhan Abraham but adopted ‘John’ as his professional name, reportedly inspired by his Christian heritage and for broader screen appeal.
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Image Credit : instagram
Tiger Shroff
Original name: Jai Hemant Shroff
The actor has said that family members called him “Tiger” from childhood because of his energetic and mischievous nature. He retained the nickname as his professional identity.
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Image Credit : Instagram
Sunny Deol
Original name: Ajay Singh Deol
Why he changed it: Born into the Deol film family, he adopted “Sunny” as his screen name before entering films, creating a distinct identity from other family members.
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Ajay Devgn
Original name: Vishal Veeru Devgan
Ajay adopted a shorter, more memorable screen name before his debut in Phool Aur Kaante (1991). He later modified the spelling of his surname from ‘Devgan’ to ‘Devgn’, reportedly influenced by personal and numerological preferences.