From 'Koki' to 'Fubu', Here's How Bollywood Celebrities Got Their Quirky Nicknames

Most of us have been given a nickname since childhood—a term of endearment our loved ones like to refer to us by. However, it sure does get a bit embarrassing when these pet names are strikingly bizarre (and often weird AF!). Celebrities are faced with the same embarrassment when their quirky childhood nicknames become known to the public. 'Duggu', 'Fubu', 'Aloo', we can only imagine the origin of these pet names. 

Here are a few unique celebrity nicknames, and the stories behind how they stuck. 

 

Fubu aka Arjun Kapoor 

The actor revealed that he is lovingly called ‘Fubu’ by his friends and family. During a Koffee with Karan episode, he revealed, “My friends still call me Fubu. It used to be a brand of clothing in America and they used to have clothes in big sizes. Obviously, I was fond of wearing colourful clothes, but I would never fit into them. So Fubu used to make football jerseys and I used to only wear those and roam around. I was fond of sports, but I couldn't play, so I used to wear jerseys. And the name stuck by even today. Priyanka Chopra calls me Fubu on set and I keep reminding her that you cannot call me that, at least not on the sets. It is very strange."

 

Sasha aka Shahid Kapoor

While Shahid's wife Mira calls him 'Shadoo', his friends and family call him 'Sasha'. Apparently, the name just stuck while he was growing up!

 

Gullu aka Aishwarya Rai Bachchan 

While the former Miss World is often referred to as ‘Aish’ by her fans, her parents used to call her ‘Gullu’ during her childhood. 

 

Nushkeshwar aka Anushka Sharma

Although she was called ‘Nushkeshwar’ during her growing years, the pet name has been shortened to ‘Nushkie’, a nickname Virat Kohli refers to her by. 

 

Mimi aka Priyanka Chopra Jonas

While PeeCee and Piggy Chops are fan-favourite nicknames, Priyanka was lovingly called ‘Mithu’ by her father. Although, the actor struggled to pronounce her pet name, hence, she changed it to ‘Mimi’ instead. Her family members, including her sister Parineeti Chopra, still call her by this name. 

 

Raymond aka Ranbir Kapoor

Reportedly, Ranbir Kapoor has been given the nickname ‘Raymond’ by his mother Neetu Kapoor. The reason? She feels he’s a complete man. 

 

Giraffe aka Sonam Kapoor

Yup, you heard that right. The Neerja actor was reportedly called ‘Giraffe’ by her father Anil Kapoor due to her long neck. 

 

Koki aka Kartik Aryan 

In one of the videos he posted during the lockdown, Kartik revealed that he is referred to as ‘Koki’ at home. ‘Koki’ apparently means parantha in the Sindhi language. He also added that he’s often called ‘centre shock’ because of his hairstyle. 

 

Pappu aka Varun Dhawan 

During one of his movie promotions, Varun Dhawan revealed that he is called ‘Pappu’ at home, which often reminds him of the Mexican drug lord. 

 

Aloo aka Alia Bhatt

A chubby child, Alia was called ‘Aloo’ by her near and dear ones. Apparently, the actor is still referred to as Aloo by some of her close friends and family.

 

Chirkut aka Shraddha Kapoor

Shraddha Kapoor was reportedly given the nickname of ‘Chirkut’ by Varun Dhawan, during their school days. At home, Shraddha is often called ‘Chimdi’ or ‘Rani’, which refers to a bird and a queen, respectively. 

 

Duggu aka Hritik Roshan 

Hritik Roshan’s grandmother came up with the pet name ‘Duggu’. The family wanted his nickname to be similar to his father’s, Guddu, and that’s how he landed the quirky pet name.