No arguing that some specific surnames carry a certain amount of clout despite a rush of young actors from outside the industry who have taken Bollywood by storm in recent times. No wonder that some of our actors are more than keen to drop their famous last names, to have their acting chops shine through without having to carry the baggage of the tried-and tested.

Irrfan
Last release: The Lunchbox
Name check: Hailing from Rajasthan, the celebrated actor’s full name is Sahabzade Irfan Ali Khan. He’s commonly known as Irrfan Khan. However, he recently decided to let go the surname and add an ‘r’ to his first name. Going by the way his career has been sky-rocketing, looks like his gamble has paid off handsomely.