If you are brought up in a desi family, you know how we have two monikers, one for the world and one solely given by our loving family.
Like us, even Bollywood celebs have quirky nicknames. Sure, we are well aware of Bebo(Kareena) and Lolo(Karisma), but there is more to amuse us.
1. Varun Dhawan: Pappu
Not many know, but Varun Dhawan’s father fondly calls him ‘Pappu’ at home. The actor revealed that the name reminds him of a Mexican drug lord.
2. Akshay Kumar: Raju
Who knew ‘Raju’ from Hera Pheri would be Akshay’s nickname in real life. While we all know Akshay’s real name is Rajiv Bhatia, his close friends and family refer to him as ‘Raju.’
3. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Gullu
Aishwarya’s nickname is rather the contrast to her personality. Fans call her Aish, but she is referred to as ‘Gullu’ at home. Her sister-in-law, Shrima Rai, in one of her Instagram stories, mentioned that Aishwarya is addressed as ‘Gullu maami’.
4. Alia Bhatt: Aloo
Alia recently charmed us with her adorable wedding pictures. The actor mentioned that she was named ‘Aloo’ by her friends and family as a child. However, Alia credits this nickname to the fact that she was chubby as a kid.
5. Ranbir Kapoor: Raymond
The Kapoor family has the tradition to give quirky nicknames, including Chintu (Rishi Kapoor), Bebo(Kareena), and Lolo(Karisma). But it seems like mother Neetu has retired from this tradition as she calls his son ‘Raymond’, as she thinks of him as a ‘complete man.’
6. Priyanka Chopra: Mimi
No matter where you go, you cannot take the Indian roots out of you. The actor is often addressed as PeeCee or Piggy Chops, but her nickname is widely unknown. She was called ‘Mithu’ by her family, and it was later changed to ‘Mimi’ because Priyanka couldn’t pronounce it.
7. Anushka Sharma: Nushki
It was Virat who revealed Anushka’s nickname in a Q&A session on Instagram. She was fondly called Nushkeshwar by her parents which was later shortened to ‘Nushki’.
8. Hrithik Roshan: Duggu
Hrithik gives us a dapper vibe, but his nickname is rather peculiar. The actor is called ‘Duggu’ at home. The nickname was given to him by his grandmother, and it rhymes well with father Rakesh Roshan’s nickname, ‘Guddu.’
9. Shahid Kapoor: Sasha
Shahid is called ‘Sasha’ by his close friends and family. But it is reported that his wife Mira Kapoor has many nicknames for him including ‘Shadoo’ and ‘Tommy.’
10. Arjun Kapoor: Fubu
Arjun was nicknamed ‘Fubu’ by his friends as a reference to a football jersey brand that he would only fit in as a child.
11. Kartik Aaryan
The actor is called ‘Koki’ and ‘Guddu’ by his close friends and family. The name was fondly given to him by his mother.
13. Sonam Kapoor: Giraffe
There is no dearth of peculiar names when it comes to the Kapoor family. Sonam was nicknamed ‘Giraffe‘ by her family.
14. Shraddha Kapoor: Chimdi
Keeping up with the tradition of quirky nicknames, we have quite a few monikers for Shraddha. She is called Chimdi, Rani, and Shraddhs by her family.
After all, we are all desis!
Read more: From Kriti To Nawazuddin, 12 Bollywood Celebs Share Their Real-Life Spooky Experiences.