Akshay Kumar, whose recently released film Sarfira is taking over the box office, in a recent interview talked about the reason behind changing his name from Rajiv Bhatia. In an interview with Galatta Plus, the actor was asked what was his first day like on the sets of Aaj, his debut film directed by Mahesh Bhatt. “Do you know what was Kumar Gaurav's name in the film? Akshay! That's how I got my name. Not many people know this. So, my real name is Rajeev and during the shoot I just casually asked what is the name of the hero in the film, they said Akshay, I told them, I want to keep my name as Akshay!”
“Rajiv is a good name and I think back then Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister or something. So, it was a great name but I changed it just aise hi," the actor added.
He also revealed his dad's reaction to his change of name. "It wasn't like some pandit advised me to change my name! My father also asked me, ‘What's wrong with you?' but I told him the same, that the hero's name in my first film was this so I will keep it.”
Akshay Kumar is always candid about his professional struggles. Recently, the actor spoke about how people "love" it when his films do not perform well at the box office. Akshay shared, “People love seeing it when 3-4-5 films don't work.” When asked if these people are from the industry, Akshay Kumar replied, “Yeah. I have seen it myself. ‘Inka nahi picture chla. [Their film has not performed well.]' Other people are happy.” Recalling a recent incident with a reporter, Akshay Kumar said, “Mai aapko ek chota sa kissa sunata hu. I won't name the channel. I was walking abhi recently baat ki. [Let me tell you a little story. I won't name the channel.] I was walking on the red carpet. So, you know, a lot of channels are there.” The actor described how a reporter asked him, “Akshay ji, aapki last chaar filmei nahi chali. Aapko kaisa lag raha hai? [Akshay ji, your last four films didn't work. How do you feel?]”
Akshay Kumar's latest film Sarfira is currently running in theatres. The movie also features Paresh Rawal and Radhika Madan in key roles.