Kareena Kapoor Khan's real name will leave you surprised

Mumbai: Bollywood diva Kareena Kapoor Khan is celebrating her 46th birthday today, and social media is flooded with wishes from her fans, friends and family. As the actress trends across platforms, fans are also revisiting some lesser-known facts about her life.

One detail that may genuinely surprise many is Kareena Kapoor’s original name.

Before she became the famous Kareena or the much-loved “Bebo,” the actress was reportedly named Siddhima by her grandfather, legendary actor-filmmaker Raj Kapoor.

Kareena Kapoor was originally named Siddhima

Kareena was born on September 21, 1980, during the Ganpati festival. Interestingly, her cousin Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, daughter of Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor, was born just six days earlier, on September 15.

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According to several reports, Raj Kapoor named his two granddaughters Riddhima and Siddhima, drawing inspiration from Riddhi and Siddhi, traditionally associated with Lord Ganesha.

While Neetu Kapoor retained the name Riddhima for her daughter, Kareena’s mother Babita reportedly decided to change Siddhima’s name to Kareena.

How did she get the name Kareena?

Interestingly, the name Kareena is also believed to have a literary connection.

Reports state that Babita was reading Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina while she was pregnant with Kareena. She reportedly took inspiration from the title and named her daughter Kareena, with a slight change in spelling and pronunciation.

And then came the nickname that Bollywood fans know all too well, Bebo.

Kareena had previously revealed that it was her father Randhir Kapoor who gave her the nickname Bebo, partly because it rhymed with her elder sister Karisma Kapoor’s nickname, Lolo.

Speaking about the nicknames on a chat show, Kareena had explained that there was no deep meaning behind them and that her parents simply wanted funny names for the sisters.

Her latest film

Meanwhile, Kareena is currently receiving attention for her latest release Daayra, directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Meghna Gulzar.

The film marks Kareena’s first collaboration with Prithviraj Sukumaran and draws from true events. Kareena plays DCP Ajooni Kohli, a police officer investigating an encounter killing involving DCP Raman Kumar, played by Prithviraj, and his team.

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