Name changes have long been a common practice in the film industry, and actors like Prateik Babbar, Kiara Advani, and more.
Many now alter their names to honor family legacies or align with numerology, a belief that numbers influence one’s destiny.
1- Prateik Babbar
Prateik Babbar changed his name to Prateik Smita Patil as a tribute to his late mother, Smita Patil. Prateik says, “I don’t care about the repercussions. All I care about is the way I feel when I hear that name. I need to be wholly and solely associated with my mother (Smita Patil), her name and her legacy. I don’t think any other name needs to taint that legacy, if you understand what I mean. It needs to just be her name and her legacy. That’s what I’m striving to be. I’m striving to be like my mother and not like my dad.”
2- Kiara Advani
Kiara Advani was born Alia Advani, but she changed her name to Kiara before entering Bollywood. The decision was influenced by Salman Khan, who suggested she adopt a different name to avoid confusion with Alia Bhatt, who was already an established actress at the time. Kiara later revealed in an interview that she took inspiration from Priyanka Chopra’s character “Kiara” in the film Anjaana Anjaani (2010).
3- Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar was born as Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia, but he changed his name before entering Bollywood. The decision was inspired by a small but impactful moment—while shooting for his debut film, he was influenced by a character named “Akshay” played by Kumar Gaurav in the movie Aaj (1987). Akshay had a minor role in that film and, for some reason, felt a strong connection to the name. Believing that a name could shape destiny, he officially changed his name from Rajiv Bhatia to Akshay Kumar before launching his Bollywood career.
4- Tiger Shroff
Tiger Shroff was born Jai Hemant Shroff, but he changed his name to Tiger before entering Bollywood. The reason? His nickname growing up! As a child, Tiger had a habit of playfully biting people, so his parents, actor Jackie Shroff and producer Ayesha Shroff, started calling him Tiger. The name stuck, and when he entered the film industry, he decided to make it his official screen name.
5- Shilpa Shetty Kundra
Shilpa Shetty was born Ashwini Shetty, but her mother, Sunanda Shetty, changed her name based on numerology. Reportedly, an astrologer suggested that the name Shilpa would bring her more success and good fortune in the film industry. Following this advice, she adopted Shilpa Shetty as her official screen name before making her Bollywood debut.
(Also read: Prateik Babbar On Changing Name To Prateik Smita Patil: ‘Want To Be Like My Mother, Not My Dad’!)
