From Nayanthara and Akshay Kumar, Kiara Advani to Dilip Kumar, here’s a look at the real names of actors you might not know.
Preity Zinta is celebrating her 51st birthday today. On the occasion let us tell you that several people think that the Veer Zara actress changed her name before coming into films. A name Pritam Singh had gone viral and still gets associated to the actress. However, in an interview Preity Zinta finally put an end to the confusion and revealed that the name ‘Pritam Singh’ was a joke nickname given by co-star Bobby Deol on the sets of their 1998 film Soldier, which stuck with her over the years.
And now while we are talking about actors and their real name, it has been seen that several celebrities in the film industry are better known by their screen names than their real names. Fans often have no idea what these celebrities were actually named at birth. So, let’s take a look at the real names of actors you might not know.
Actors whose real names fans don’t know
1. Nayanthara
Nayanthara is well-known South Indian actress, best known for her roles in films like Jawan, Naanum Rowdy Thaan, Aramm and others. She was born on November 18, 1984, as Diana Mariam Kurien in a Malayali Nasrani family in Bangalore, Karnataka. Talking about the work front, she has multiple projects lined up for 2026, which includes Yash’s Kannada film Toxic releasing on March 19, 2026, and Mammootty’s action drama Patriot on April 23, 2026.
2. Dilip Kumar
Dilip Kumar was a legendary Bollywood actor, best known for his roles in films like Mughal-e-Azam, Devdas, Naya Daur, and others. He was born on December 11, 1922, as Muhammad Yusuf Khan in Peshawar, British India (now in Pakistan). Over his long career, he became known as the ‘Tragedy King’ of Indian cinema for his powerful performances.
3. Akshay Kumar
Akshay Kumar is a renowned Bollywood actor, best known for his roles in films like Hera Pheri, Baby, Rustom and others. He was born on September 9, 1967, as Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia in a Punjabi family in Amritsar, Punjab. In 2026, he will be seen in horror comedy film, Bhooth Bangla alongside Paresh Rawal, Wamiqa Gabbi and Tabu.
4. Kiara Advani
Kiara Advani is a Bollywood actress whose real name is Alia Advani. She was born on July 31, 1991, in Mumbai. She made her acting debut with the 2014 film Fugly. Kiara rose to fame for her roles in films like MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Kabir Singh and Shershaah.
5. Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna was the legendary actor, best known for his roles in films like Anand, Bawarchi, Kudrat and others. According to details given on IMDb, he was born on December 29, 1942, as Jatin Chunnilal Khanna in a Punjabi family in Amritsar, Punjab. Over the span of his acting career, he got the title of ‘First Indian Superstar’.
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