8 Indian Celebrities Who Changed Their Names for Stardom

Published by: ABP Live
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Real Names

Many Bollywood stars have altered their names to enhance their appeal. Some did it for numerology, while others followed industry advice. Here’s a look at their original names:

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Amitabh Bachchan – Inquilaab Srivastava

His father, Harivansh Rai Bachchan, changed Inquilaab to Amitabh and later adopted Bachchan as their family name.

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Akshay Kumar – Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia

Inspired by a character from one of his early films, he adopted Akshay Kumar as his screen name.

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Salman Khan – Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan

His full name reflects his lineage—Abdul Rashid from his grandfather and Salim from his father.

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Katrina Kaif – Katrina Turquotte

She changed her surname to Kaif to better connect with Indian audiences.

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Ajay Devgn – Vishal Devgan

He shortened Vishal to Ajay for uniqueness and later dropped the a from Devgan based on numerology.

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Dilip Kumar – Muhammad Yusuf Khan

To appeal to a broader audience, he adopted the more secular name Dilip Kumar.

Image Source: IMDb

Madhubala – Mumtaz Jehan Dehlavi

Her screen name, Madhubala, became legendary in Indian cinema.

Image Source: IMDb

Kiara Advani – Alia Advani

She changed her name on Salman Khan’s suggestion to avoid confusion with Alia Bhatt.

Image Source: Instagram