Akshay Kumar recently shared why he changed his name before entering the film industry. While many people do this to try their luck or because of their belief in astrology, Akshay had different reasons. In a recent interview, he revealed that he didn’t change his name based on a Pandit’s advice but due to several other reasons.

Akshay debuted in 1987 with Mahesh Bhatt’s film “Aaj,” though Kumar Gaurav was the lead actor. That experience was so significant that Akshay decided to change his name. In an interview, he explained, “Kumar Gaurav’s character in the film was named Akshay. That’s where I got my name. My real name is Rajiv, but during the shooting, I asked about the hero’s name, and when I heard it was Akshay, I decided to adopt it as my own!”

He also mentioned that Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister at the time. “Rajiv is a good name, but I changed it just because I wanted to. It wasn’t due to any pandit’s advice. Even my father questioned me, asking what the issue was. I told him that the hero in my first film was named Akshay, so I decided to keep that name.”

Akshay recently appeared in “Bade Miyan Chote Miyan” and “Sarfira,” which released this Friday. He has several upcoming films, including “Khel Khel Mein,” “Sky Force,” “Singham Again,” “Jolly LLB 3,” “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Hera Pheri 3,” and “Shankara.”He will also make his Telugu debut with a cameo in “Kannappa.”