Nowadays, it is not uncommon for people working in Bollywood as well as the South Indian movie industry to change their names for success and fame. Although William Shakespeare once said ‘what’s in a name?’, not surprisingly enough a lot is in the name when it comes to the movie industry.
Changing names before entering the industry is not new and dates back to early times. Name changing is an age-old practice and many an actor tends to change their mundane name to a cool and catchy name that’ll stick for a long time.
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Here are some South Indian actresses who changed their names for success in the industry:
1. Nayanthara
Professionally known as Nayanthara, her real name is Diana Mariam Kurian, an Indian actress and film producer. She is predominantly seen in Tamil, Telugu & Malayalam films. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in India. Nayanthara is one of the only South Indian actresses to get featured in the Forbes India “Celebrity 100” list in 2018.
2. Meera Jasmine
Professionally known as Meera Jasmine, is an Indian actress who primarily works in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada language films. She changed her name to Meera Jasmine from Jasmine Mary Joseph. For her role in Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam, Meera won the National Film Award for Best Actress in 2004.
3. Nagma
Nagma, a famous politician, was a former actor and is particularly known for her lead roles in the 1990s. Her real name is Nandita Arvind Morarji. Her cinematic debut film was Baaghi alongside Salman Khan in 1990. She has done films in many languages such as Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Bhojpuri, and even in Bengali.
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4. Anjali
Anjali, best known for her role as Jiiva in the film Kattradhu Thamizh, is an Indian actress and model who predominantly works in Tamil and Telugu films. Her real name is Balatripurasundari. In 2010 and 2011, she won the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil.
5. Tabu
Tabu, one of the most accomplished actresses in Bollywood, is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Hindi films, alongside Telugu, Tamil, and English films. Her real name is Tabassum Fatima Hashmi and is a very versatile actress. From playing troubled women to a strong female lead in both mainstream and independent cinema, she has made her name as a versatile actress.
6. Anushka Shetty
Anushka Shetty, best known for her role as Devasena in the superhit movie Baahubali, works predominantly in the Tamil and Telugu film industry. Her real name is Sweety Shetty and is often popularly referred to as the Lady Superstar of South Indian cinema.
7. Rambha
Rambha, one of the prominent actresses in the 90s and 2000s is an Indian actress who has predominantly worked in the Telugu and Tamil film industry. Her real name is Vijayalakshmi. In her career spanning almost two decades, Rambha has appeared in more than 100 films.
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8. Bhumika Chawla
Bhumika Chawla is a former model and an Indian actress who has predominantly in the Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Hindi film industries. Her real name is Rachna Chawla and her debut film was the Telugu film Yuvakudu. She also won Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu for her role in Kushi.
9. Raasi
Raasi, an Indian actress, predominantly appeared in Telugu and Tamil films. Also known as Manthra in Malayalam and Tamil films, her real name is Vijaya. She started her career as a child actress and her debut film was a Telugu film named Mamatala Kovella in 1986.
10. Sneha
Popularly known by her stage name Sneha, her real name is Suhasini Rajaram Naidu. She is an Indian actress who appears predominantly in Tamil and Telugu films. She made her debut with the Malayalam movie Ingane Oru Nilapakshi.
Also read: 17 Bollywood Actors You Didn’t Know Had Changed Their Name
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