Kiara Advani to John Abraham: 5 Bollywood Actors Who Changed Their Names Before Entering Film Industry

Kiara Advani was born Alia Advani, while Tiger Shroff's real name is Jai Hemant Shroff. They are among several Bollywood stars who adopted new screen names before entering films. Here's a look at five actors, their original names and why they changed

Kiara Advani

Original name: Alia Advani

Before entering Bollywood, she changed her first name to Kiara after actor Salman Khan reportedly suggested avoiding confusion with Alia Bhatt, who had already established herself in the industry.

John Abraham

Original name: Farhan Abraham

The actor was born Farhan Abraham but adopted ‘John’ as his professional name, reportedly inspired by his Christian heritage and for broader screen appeal.

Tiger Shroff

Original name: Jai Hemant Shroff

The actor has said that family members called him "Tiger" from childhood because of his energetic and mischievous nature. He retained the nickname as his professional identity.

Sunny Deol

Original name: Ajay Singh Deol

Why he changed it: Born into the Deol film family, he adopted "Sunny" as his screen name before entering films, creating a distinct identity from other family members.

Ajay Devgn

Original name: Vishal Veeru Devgan

Ajay adopted a shorter, more memorable screen name before his debut in Phool Aur Kaante (1991). He later modified the spelling of his surname from ‘Devgan’ to ‘Devgn’, reportedly influenced by personal and numerological preferences.