Mumbai: The story behind Kajol Shrivastava’s name is a funny one. The actor was originally named Pragati by her parents, but they had to change it on her insistence.
“It’s a funny story. I was in Senior KG and I don’t know why but I did not find the name Pragati very appealing. I told my teacher that my name is Kajol, who in turn called my father to inform him that I referred myself as that. My father then filled a new form and changed my name to Kajol,” she says.
Ask her how she feels about having the same name as the Bollywood actor Kajol and she quips, “Oh! That has never mattered to me. I am happy with it and I don’t have any issues. My only problem is that sometimes people don’t understand how to pronounce my name and call me Kajal.”
The actor says that she her name is very meaningful.
“My name is really important for me because that’s my identity. People know you by your name. The meaning of my name is someone who purifies. It signifies a person who tries to make people into better human beings,” she adds.
Kajol mentions, “My name has been really lucky for me and that’s why I haven’t changed it even after entering in the industry, which normally people do.”
