Everyone remembers the Raj and Simran craze that took over the desi world post DDLJ. Every other child was named after the mischievous Raj and obedient Simran. Then many moons later, Hrithik Roshan lit up the screens with his chiseled Greek god looks, and baby boys all over were named after him. It has almost has become fashionable to name your child after the reigning superstar with hopes that they will live up to their name. However, not a lot of the fans or parents, for that matter, actually know the real meaning or symbolic relevance behind many of the names of the top stars. Take for example our very own Shah Rukh Khan. There is a solid reason to why he is self proclaimed and world proclaimed King Khan. After all, his name does mean “the man with a king face.” King of many hearts, this actor has lived up to name quite literally. BollySpice decided to explore this phenomenon and take a look at some of our current favorites to answer the question: Are they living up to their names?
Her name means “queen” and looking back over the years, she was when she jutted out a series of hits including Hum Tum, Black and Bunty aur Babli, Rani Mukerji was reigning the charts and treated just like royalty. Ask her fans and they chant in unison “she is the queen of our hearts.” Her big heart has also taken her to the rural parts of Rajasthan where she met soldiers who were thrilled to see the queen bee. Even though her career has taken a bit of a nose dive, she still does seem to be popular amongst the masses, and they believe she will be back to fill their hearts with some imperial love. Consensus: this queen does reign and definitely lives up to her name.
From one queen to the current queen leading the charts, Kareena Kapoor has a name that has Greek origins and means “pure.” In her case, she is definitely “purely” made of good talents and whole lot of nakhra’s to match it. We are sure Saif Ali Khan would love her Swedish definition of “beloved”; after all she is his most beloved girl.
After marriage, her whole name has now become quite a mouthful: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Phew! The Bachchan bahu has a name that is most fitting of her personality. Mama and Papa Rai knew that their light-eyed daughter was going to make it big and with a name that means “power and wealth,” we understand why she is raking in the moolah and is daughter-in-law to one of the most influential Bollywood families.
Cut to the newcomers and a few of the new girls have some interesting names too. After creating waves in last year’s Diwali hit Om Shanti Om, Deepika Padukone has joined the Bollywood bandwagon. This tall lass however, has a name that means “small light or flame.” We sure hope her career doesn’t burn out anytime soon and her name produces fireworks instead. In the meantime, she is burning up quite a fire with handsome hunk Ranbir Kapoor.
Staying close to home, Sonam Kapoor has a beautiful name which, when translated, means “gifted or fortunate one.” Gifted with striking good looks and born to a talented actor Anil Kapoor, she is fortunate to be getting movies even after Saawariya sunk (although her performance was applauded). This Kapoor girl is on the way to fame and fortune, and her name is guiding her all the way.
Now that we’ve taken a look at some of the ladies, let’s investigate the gentlemen. The Khan’s all have strong and overpowering names which make you stop in your tracks. If Salman means “safe and security,” then Aamir means “prince, ruler and commander.” Although Salman hasn’t has the safest of life experiences, he has secured himself a comfortable spot in the industry with screaming fans who swoon over this 43 year old hunk.
Aamir Khan, on the other hand, has taken command over the camera becoming director to India’s Oscar entry Taare Zameen Par and furthermore takes command over every frame in every movie.
Competitor to the Khans, Akshay Kumar is “indestructible,” which is exactly what his name means. He continually shows the boys that he is here to stay and staying as fit as he does, Kumar knows he is always going to be around whether its dancing, kicking or making you laugh. P
ost Rock On!!, Farhan Akhtar is now known not only for his slick directing skills but his fabulous acting. Son to famous lyricist and writer, Farhan lives up to his name of “joy and merriment” by continuously producing movies which make his fans happy as he himself happily laughs his way to the bank.
Newbie Imran Khan has not only his name to live up to but a reputation preceded by his famous uncle. His name means “prosperity.” While Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na was a box office prosperous blow out, his recent flick, Kidnap, failed to generate much revenue. However, he is prosperously receiving scripts and offers which we hope will result in bags of money.
Ranbir Kapoor, or “the brave warrior,” as his name indicates is one to watch out for. He heroically admits to his affair with Deepika Padukone and boldly kisses three heroines in one movie. We’d say his name is quite fitting of his character. We could go on and list every celebrity and how they have (or haven’t) lived up to their names, but we love them irrespective of their names and their meanings. So what’s in a name? Nothing at all in our opinion.
