Think you know everything about your favourite Bollywood stars? Think again. From Ajay Devgn to Kiara Advani, several celebrities changed their real names before entering films. Here’s a look at their original names.
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Many Bollywood celebrities adopted new names before making their mark in the film industry. From Ajay Devgn to Kiara Advani, here are seven stars whose real names might surprise even their biggest fans.
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The evergreen actress Shilpa Shetty was actually born Ashwini Shetty in Mangalore in 1975. Not many people know this, but she changed her name for numerological reasons even before she made her debut in the film industry.
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This industry newcomer was originally named Alia Advani. She changed her first name to Kiara just before her debut film ‘Fugly’ released in 2014. Word is that superstar Salman Khan himself suggested the name change.
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Everyone knows him as just Govinda, but the actor, born in 1963, has a much longer name. His real name is Govind Arun Kumar Ahuja. Arun Kumar was his father’s name, which he included in his full name.
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Known for her bold roles since her 2003 debut in ‘Khwahish’, Mallika Sherawat’s real name is Reema Lamba. She chose ‘Mallika’ as her screen name and took her mother’s maiden name, ‘Sherawat’, to honour her mother for all the support she gave.
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The Shahenshah of Bollywood needs no introduction, but here’s a fact few know. His real name is Inquilaab Srivastava! The name was inspired by the famous freedom struggle slogan, ‘Inquilab Zindabad’.
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With his famous dimples, John is one of Bollywood’s hottest actors. But did you know his real name is Farhan Abraham? Interestingly, his name is just a reverse of his father’s name, Abraham John.
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The legendary actress Rekha began her career at just 17 with the Telugu film ‘Rangula Ratnam’. While everyone was floored by her dance and style, not many know her real name is Bhanurekha Ganesan.
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Ajay Devgn’s real name is Vishal Veeru Devgan. Before he entered the film industry, he changed his first name to Ajay. He also later dropped the ‘a’ from his surname, changing Devgan to Devgn.