What's in a Name?

BollyCurry will make sure to refresh your memory with some names used repetitively by filmmakers.

Published: Tuesday,Apr 21, 2015 21:21 PM GMT-06:00

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What's in a name? One always wonders. But if you really want to know the answer to this, ask Bollywood because they believe something is definitely there in a name! For decades it has been noticed that the filmmakers tend to stick to the same name and the reason behind this can be pretty hilarious. Today, BollyCurry will make sure to refresh your memory with some such names.

Amitabh Bachchan as Vijay

'Pura naam, Vijay Dinanath Chauhan, baap ka naam,Dinanath Chauhan, maa ka naam, Suhasini Chauhan, gaon Mandwa, umar chhattis saal'. How can one forget this famous dialogue from the movie Agneepath (1990)? There was a time when Vijay had become Amitabh Bachchan's second name. After being named Vijay in his first movie Zanjeer (1973), he went on to emulate the screen name for approximately 20 times. His last venture as Vijay was Rann (2010) where he played the struggling media baron Vijay Harshwardhan Malik. Some of his iconic movies with him playing the role of Vijay are Deewar (1975), Don (1978), Kaala Patthar (1979) and Dostana (1980).

Salman Khan as Prem

The famous protegee of Alok Nath's Institution of Sanskaar, Prem is characterized as ideal brother, son, friend and husband found in Sooraj Barjatiya's hypothetical family dramas. And one actor who fits the bill is Salman Khan! From stealing millions of hearts of girls with his charms in Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), he only got better and went on to act as Prem in almost 12 movies. Some of his iconic movies are Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1995), Hum Saath-Saath Hain (1999), Andaz Apna Apna (1994), etc. In his upcoming flick, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, we will see him reunite with director Sooraj Barjatiya and his most loved character Prem.

Shah Rukh Khan as Rahul

Rahul..naam toh suna hoga? Yes, we have not only heard but also loved him when he introduced himself on screen. In his whole career, Shah Rukh Khan played the famous screen name of Rahul to such an extent that audiences started relating to him as Rahul. From being fearsome Rahul of Darr to all time romantic Rahul of Dil To Pagal Hai, he redefined the way love is portrayed. His filmography shows him playing Rahul on eight occasions. Some famous movies are Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001) and Chennai Express (2013). Once again we will see him play Rahul in his upcoming Fan directed by Maneesh Sharma.

Ajay Devgn as Ajay

Ajay Devgn's most favourite screen name remains to be his real name. He played Ajay as many as eleven times in his movies. The man whose first entry in Bollywood was a balancing act on two bikes, chose his own name as his screen name which worked for him quite well. One could trace the love for his real name in his roles back to his debut movie Phool Aur Kaante (1991). Whenever he played his name, his role had always been intense. Such movies include Dil Hai Betaab (1993), Gundaraj (1995), Ishq (1997) and latest being You Me Aur Hum (2008).

Akshay Kumar as Raj

Be it action, romance or comedy, Akshay Kumar has all in his kitty. But one thing that remains common is he never forgot to play Raj on screen. He has done approximately half dozen of movies with the name as Raj. Suhaag (1994), Khiladi (1992), Andaaz (2003), and Aitraaz (1994) are few such movies.

So have you ever wondered what is the real power and importance of these iconic character names that make our stars repeat it time and again? Well for us, Rahul represents a romantic, lovable and fun character or Vijay, the serious, intense guy. And somewhere down the line, film makers have also perceived the same perception.

Now that is some name fascination in Btown!

There are many other actors who have followed the same route. Comment below and let us know which your favorite is.

Writer: Peehu A.

Editor(s): Kalpana K.C. and Hershi J.

Graphics: Komal P.

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