50+ Bollywood Actors and Their Real Names: Childhood Names of Your Favorite Bollywood Stars
Bollywood celebrities are known by their iconic screen names, but many fans don’t realize that several actors started their lives with completely different names. Before fame, red carpets, and blockbuster movies, these stars had simple birth names given by their families.
In the film industry, many actors change their names for reasons such as better screen appeal, easier pronunciation, or building a stronger personal brand. Over time, these new names become so famous that people often forget their original identities.
In this article, let’s explore the real names and childhood names of more than 50 Bollywood actors that might surprise you.
Famous Bollywood Actors and Their Real Names
1. Amitabh Bachchan
Real Name: Inquilab Srivastava
The legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan was originally named Inquilaab, inspired by the phrase “Inquilab Zindabad.” Later, his father changed it to Amitabh.
2. Akshay Kumar
Real Name: Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia
Before entering Bollywood, Akshay Kumar was known as Rajiv Bhatia. His stage name later became one of the biggest brands in Indian cinema.
3. Ajay Devgn
Real Name: Vishal Veeru Devgan
Ajay Devgn shortened his birth name when he joined the film industry. He later changed the spelling of his surname for numerological reasons.
4. Salman Khan
Real Name: Abdul Rashid Salim Salman Khan
Salman Khan’s full name is much longer than the one fans commonly use today.
5. Saif Ali Khan
Real Name: Sajid Ali Khan
Saif shortened his original name when he entered Bollywood.
6. Sunny Deol
Real Name: Ajay Singh Deol
Sunny Deol adopted a more impactful name for the film industry.
7. Bobby Deol
Real Name: Vijay Singh Deol
Bobby Deol’s real name is Vijay Singh Deol, but his nickname Bobby became his screen identity.
8. John Abraham
Real Name: Farhan Abraham
The actor later adopted the name John Abraham for his film career.
9. Govinda
Real Name: Govind Arun Ahuja
Govinda shortened his real name to create a unique stage identity.
10. Dilip Kumar
Real Name: Yusuf Khan
One of the greatest actors in Indian cinema, Dilip Kumar was born as Yusuf Khan.
11. Rajinikanth
Real Name: Shivaji Rao Gaikwad
Before becoming a superstar, Rajinikanth worked as a bus conductor in Bangalore.
12. Mithun Chakraborty
Real Name: Gouranga Chakraborty
Mithun became famous after his breakthrough role in Disco Dancer.
13. Tiger Shroff
Real Name: Jai Hemant Shroff
Tiger Shroff’s childhood nickname “Tiger” eventually became his official screen name.
14. Kartik Aaryan
Real Name: Kartik Tiwari
He changed his surname to Aaryan when he entered Bollywood.
15. Hrithik Roshan
Real Name: Hrithik Nagrath
Hrithik later adopted his father’s surname Roshan.
16. Ranveer Singh
Real Name: Ranveer Singh Bhavnani
He shortened his surname for a stronger brand identity.
17. Rajkummar Rao
Real Name: Rajkumar Yadav
Rajkummar changed the spelling of his name for numerology.
18. Chunky Panday
Real Name: Suyash Panday
Chunky was his childhood nickname which later became his screen name.
19. Jackie Shroff
Real Name: Jaikishan Kakubhai Shroff
Jackie is one of the most recognizable nicknames in Bollywood.
20. Sunil Dutt
Real Name: Balraj Dutt
He adopted the name Sunil Dutt after entering films.
More Bollywood Actors and Their Real Names
Here are more actors and their original names:
- Jeetendra – Ravi Kapoor
- Kamal Haasan – Parthasarathy Srinivasan
- Rajesh Khanna – Jatin Khanna
- Dev Anand – Dharamdev Pishorimal Anand
- Manoj Kumar – Harikrishan Giri Goswami
- Shammi Kapoor – Shamsher Raj Kapoor
- Raj Kapoor – Ranbir Raj Kapoor
- Guru Dutt – Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone
- Mehmood – Mehmood Ali
- Nana Patekar – Vishwanath Patekar
Modern Bollywood Actors
- Irrfan Khan – Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan
- Nawazuddin Siddiqui – Nawazuddin Siddiqui
- Anupam Kher – Anupam Kher
- Sanjay Dutt – Sanjay Balraj Dutt
- Arjun Kapoor – Arjun Boney Kapoor
- Varun Dhawan – Varun Dhawan
- Sidharth Malhotra – Sidharth Malhotra
- Ayushmann Khurrana – Nishant Khurrana
- Emraan Hashmi – Syed Emraan Anwar Hashmi
- Farhan Akhtar – Farhan Akhtar
New Generation Actors
- Abhishek Bachchan – Abhishek Amitabh Bachchan
- Randeep Hooda – Randeep Hooda
- Arshad Warsi – Arshad Warsi
- Shakti Kapoor – Sunil Sikandarlal Kapoor
- Riteish Deshmukh – Riteish Vilasrao Deshmukh
- Boman Irani – Boman Irani
- Aditya Roy Kapur – Aditya Roy Kapur
- Vicky Kaushal – Vicky Kaushal
- Ranbir Kapoor – Ranbir Kapoor
- Shah Rukh Khan – Shah Rukh Khan
Why Do Bollywood Actors Change Their Names?
There are several reasons actors choose different screen names:
- Better screen appeal
- Shorter and easier names for fans
- Brand identity in the film industry
- Numerology or personal beliefs
Sometimes a nickname given in childhood becomes so popular that it turns into their official identity in Bollywood.
Behind every famous Bollywood name, there is often a simple birth name and childhood story. Learning about the real names of Bollywood actors helps fans understand their journey from ordinary life to superstardom.
Whether it’s Rajiv Bhatia becoming Akshay Kumar or Vishal Devgan becoming Ajay Devgn, these name changes are part of Bollywood’s fascinating history.
Also Read: The Inspiring Journey of Bollywood Stars
