Names are an important part of our identity that gives us a sense of who we are and connect us to people. Everything, living or non-living, has a name to identify with it. Each name has personal, cultural, familial or historical significance and aspect, especially when naming their newborns during ‘NaamKaran’ (naming ceremony). This ceremony is one of the key family ceremonies at which the newborn is officially assigned a name. Speaking of which, &TV artists talk about the unique story behind their names. These include Shivya Pathania (Devi Parvati, Baal Shiv), Ambrish Bobby (Ramesh Prasad Mishra, Aur Bhai Kya Chal Raha hai?), Kamna Pathak (Rajesh Singh, Happu Ki Ultan Paltan), and Rohitashv Gour (Manmohan Tiwari, Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai).
Shivya Pathania – Devi Parvati in &TV’s Baal Shiv shares, “My entire family is an ardent Lord Shiva devotee, especially my father. My great maternal grandmother was a Shiv bhakt, and her name was also related to Shivya. So, during my naming ceremony, everyone wanted my name to be connected to Lord Shiva and hence the name ‘Shivya’.It means “Shiv Ka Ansh,” and I always say, “Shiv ya phir Kuch nahi”. Whether to say it is a coincidence or a game of luck, how unexpectedly, I landed up doing a show on Lord Shiva to essay Devi Parvati, Mahadev’s wife’s role in Baal Shiv. It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life, and my entire family was ecstatic. I feel it to be a blessing to me from Lord Shiva.” Ambrish Bobby – Ramesh Mishra in &TV’s Aur Bhai Kya Chal Raha Hai? shares, “Ambrish was a great king who was selfless, charitable, and liked by everyone. My grandmother named me Ambrish, which means “God of the sky.” However, many people do not know that my surname is not ‘Bobby’ but ‘Srivastava’. I was nicknamed ‘Bobby’, given my chocolate boy looks similar to Rishi Kapoor’s in his debut movie, ‘Bobby’. Eventually, people started calling me my nickname so much that I decided to use it as my surname.”
Kamna Pathak – Rajesh Singh in &TV’s Happu Ki Ultan Paltan shares, “My parents kept my name ‘Kamna’ which means desire or aspiration. My parents lovingly say that I am one wish that had asked from almightly which came true. So even when we bought our house recently in Indore, it was named after me as ‘Kamna Nivas’, which was an emotional and a very happy moment for me. During my school days, my friends used to, in a fun way, say, “Kamna Hamari Mann ki Kamna puri kijiye”. It used to irritate me initially, but then I started laughing over it and used to respond, ‘Lekin Kamna puri hone par, Mujhe kya milega?’ (laughs)” Rohitashv Gour – Manmohan Tiwari in &TV’s Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai shares, “My aunt Santosh Gour named me Rohitashv. She is unfortunately not with us anymore. She was an educationalist and principal of a higher secondary school in Kalka and was fond of literature. In mythology, my name Rohitashv denotes Surya ka Ghoda. ‘Rohit’ signifies the first rays of the sun, and ‘Ashv’ means a swarm of horses. People occasionally mix up my name with Rohitash, which I always clarify with the proper spelling and pronunciation because it is the most special gift from my late aunt. But that is bound to happen as it is a unique name.”
Watch Baal Shiv at 8:00 pm, Aur Bhai Kya Chal Raha Hai? at 9:30 pm, Happu Ki Ultan Paltan at 10:00 pm, and Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai at 10:30 pm, airing every Monday to Friday only on &TV!
