As amusing as Asrani’s characters are, the story behind his name is equally fascinating. Hardly any hero or heroine in the film industry has such a story.
Most Bollywood actors became famous by their original names or altered film names, but Asrani was the only actor who became known by his surname. His one-syllable name truly sounds playful and endearing.
Asrani passed away on 20th October 2025, and tributes poured in. His film roles were remembered. During this time, many people learned for the first time that his full name was Govardhan Asrani. In other words, his name was Govardhan and his surname was Asrani. Rarely has an actor in the history of the film industry become popular not by his first name but by his surname. His surname became his primary name.
Why was Asrani addressed with his surname, not Govardhan?
The names of actors in the Hindi film industry also have interesting stories. The practice of using one-syllable names has existed for a long time, such as Dharmendra, Jitendra, Nutan, Nargis, Sadhana, Madhubala, Ranjeet, Jeevan, Jagdeep, and even Kajol. It’s worth noting that these artists never considered it necessary to include a surname with their name.
It wasn’t until much later that people learned that Dharmendra was Deol, Jitendra was Ravi Kapoor, Ranjeet was Gopal Bedi, Nargis became Dutt after marrying Sunil Dutt, or that Nutan and Kajol were from Bengali families. Yet, they all became popular on the silver screen and among fans with names without surnames.
The Story of Surnames in Bollywood
Sadhana’s full name was Sadhana Shivdasani, but she became famous simply by the name Sadhana. Looking back in history, artists who didn’t use a single-syllable name were often prefixed with Kumar or Kumari, such as Ashok Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Raj Kumar, Manoj Kumar, and Akshay Kumar.
However, in later years, the original names and surnames of these artists were no longer a secret. But in this tradition and list, Asrani stands alone as an artist known solely by his surname. Why and how did this happen?
Where was Govardhan Asrani From?
It’s worth noting that Asrani originally belonged to a Sindhi Hindu family. He was a resident of Jaipur, Rajasthan. Apparently, his ancestors had migrated from Sindh and settled here. He was associated with the radio station in Jaipur.
Before moving to Pune or Mumbai, he worked as a voice-over artist. His voice was clear, crisp, and his pronunciation was excellent. His voice-over performance was impressive. This helped him gain recognition as an artist. People started calling him Asrani, leaving Govardhan behind in this call.
When Asrani Became Popular with His Surname
Later, when he went to the Mumbai film industry to pursue acting, he first had to turn to the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. He was told that training would make the path to becoming an actor easier. So, he completed an acting course. During the FTII course, each actor is required to make their own short film, either acting or directing it.
Interestingly, in the FTII film Asrani starred in during his training, his name is prominently listed as Asrani. The actor’s name is listed next to his character, Dev, as G.K. Asrani. This means his full name is Govardhan Kumar Asrani. Here, too, the name Govardhan was not clearly spelled.
Did Asrani Decide to Continue with His Surname?
The film’s credit line reveals that no one advised him to use Asrani instead of Govardhan while trying his luck in films; rather, it was his own decision. He already used Asrani prominently. He once recounted that in casual conversations, people often referred to him by his surname, Asrani, rather than Govardhan, because Asrani was more comfortable to pronounce than Govardhan, and it also sounded more pleasant.
The word became so ingrained in people’s tongues that he later had Asrani written on screen instead of Govardhan, and became famous by his surname. Even today, despite knowing Govardhan, people prefer to call him Asrani.