Last Updated: February 28, 2023, 20:53 IST
Rajinikanth, Mammootty and Nayanthara aming celebs who changed their names.
South superstars including Rajinikanth, Mammooty, Kamal Haasan, Dhanush and more celebs who have got their name changed when they entrered the film industry.
In Bollywood, it’s fairly typical for movie stars to change their names before featuring in a movie or to modify them based on superstitions or numerology. Nevertheless, in the South, actors seem to have a different problem—long names that could be hard for people to pronounce and recall. For the convenience of their admirers, some movie stars have opted to change their names. Let’s have a look at some further South Indian performers that have had name changes:
Kamal Hassan
Born as Parthasarathy Srinivasan, it was Kamal Hassan’s father who changed his name. Kamal Haasan debuted as a child artist with Kalathur Kannamma in 1960. The actor fondly known as Ulaganayagan is popular for his blockbuster hit films like Nayakan, Hey Ram, Vishwaroopam, Vikram and many others and is currently shooting for his next project Indian 2.
Rajinikanth
Rajinikanth’s real name was Shivaji Rao Gaekwad which he was asked to change by Tamil film director K. Balachander. Rajinikanth made his film debut with the Telugu film Chilakamma Cheppindi and slowly became the biggest superstar of India with Padyappa, Muthu, Sivaji The Boss, Robot and many more. Rajinikanth’s next release is Jailer alongside Jackie Shroff
Mammootty
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail changed his name to Mammootty when he decided to step into the movies. He debuted with the Malayalam film Anubhavangal Paalichakal and went on to become a big name in the industry over the years with films like Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, Narasimham, Bheeshma Parvam are many others. His upcoming film would be Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam.
Nayanthara
Nayanthara, born Diana Marian Kurian is known for portraying some amazing roles in not just Tamil films but other south Indian languages as well. She started her career with a Malayalam film Manassinakkare and now has a stellar film, Jawan, directed by Atlee alongside Shah Rukh Khan and Vijay Sethupathi lined up as her next release.
Dhanush
Yet another actor with a long name, Dhanush’s real name is Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja. After debuting with the film Thulluvadho Ilamai in 2002, Dhanush has managed to win the heart of his fans with his performances in movies like Asuran, Karnan, Maaran and Aadukalam. Arun Matheswaran’s Captain Miller, which will be his 50th film, is next in the pipeline for the actor.
Rana Daggubati
To simplify matters for the populace, Rana Daggubati appears to have likewise shortened his name from Ramanaidu Daggubati. The actor is well-known for his parts in the films Ghaazi, Leader, and Baahubali. His next appearance will be in the web series Rana Naidu alongside his uncle Venkatesh Daggubati. Last year he had three major releases- 1945, Bheemla Nayak, and Virata Parvam.
