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Did Shah Rukh Khan Suggest Govinda Drop His Surname? Here's The Truth Behind It
MENSXP | October 17, 2025 5:39 AM CST

Did you know that Shah Rukh Khan played a surprising role in shaping Govinda’s superstardom?

Yes, it was Shah Rukh who once advised Govinda to drop his surname, suggesting that just ‘Govinda’ sounded more glamorous, memorable, and in tune with the glitz of Bollywood. Being deeply influenced by astrology and numerology, Govinda instantly agreed with SRK’s suggestion and the rest, as they say, is history.

Soon after, the actor rose to fame as one of the most iconic entertainers of Indian cinema, known simply by his first name, Govinda.

© Instagram/Govinda

What Are Fans Saying About This?

Users are confused over this as Govinda made his debut in 1984/85 and SRK entered Bollywood later.

Some of them also said Shreyas Talpade suggested dropping the surname.

One user commented, “Yes I was present there having cream roll with SRK. Those were the days!”

Another user commented, “Govinda made his debut in 84/85.. how did SRK advise Govinda ?”

One user reacted, “Not SRK, it was his best friend Shreyas Talpade who suggested something Kapoor, Kumar or Khanna then Govinda only came up with the idea of removing Ahuja.”

Another user reacted, “Govinda debuted in 1986 with ilzaam! When srk was in Delhi! So stop making fun of shahrukh khan. Govinda already became a star when SRK entered bollywood.”

The Truth

Actually, this story sprouted from a hilarious scene from Om Shanti Om, where SRK and Shreyas Talpade play struggling actors when an actor comes to them for advice. Sreyas Talpade suggests he remove his surname. The actor was actually portraying Govinda.

One user sarcastically posted, “Thursday Trivia- Govinda Ahuja Hindi Film actor, very Popular for slapstick performances & dancing skills. But do you know It was Om Makhija and Pappu master (junior artists from 70s) who insisted him to not use his full as his screen name instead just use first name- GOVINDA.”

About Om Shanti Om

Om Shanti Om was Deepika’s debut movie opposite SRK, which was released in 2007.

The film was a revenge story which showcases reincarnation and became popular due to its parodies.

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