“Unka naam bahut lamba tha…”: Shehzad Khan reveals how filmmaker K Amarnath suggested ‘Ajit’ as his father’s screen name

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 7 (ANI): Veteran actor Ajit Khan, who became one of Hindi cinema's most recognisable villains, was originally known by his birth name, Hamid Ali Khan.
His son and actor Shehzad Khan has now opened up about the story behind how the actor came to be known professionally as 'Ajit', recalling the role played by late filmmaker K Amarnath in suggesting the name.
Speaking about his father's name change, Shehzad said that Hamid Ali Khan was the name that appeared in his father's early black-and-white films, where he was credited as a hero.
“Unka naam tha Hamid Ali Khan. Pehle jo unki black-and-white filmein thi, usme Hamid Ali Khan likha hua aata tha as a hero. (His name was Hamid Ali Khan. In his early black-and-white films, he was credited as Hamid Ali Khan as the hero),” Shehzad recalled.
According to Shehzad, Amarnath felt that the name was too long and suggested a few shorter alternatives. Among the names proposed were 'Jit', 'Ajit', 'Ranjit' and 'Sujit'.
“Mujhe lagta hai K Amarnath sahab the jinhone kaha ki bahut lamba naam hai aur fir unhone 3-4 naam diye jaise ‘Jit’, ‘Ajit’, ‘Ranjit’, ‘Sujit’. Unhe Ajit pasand aaya tha,” he said.
Shehzad also clarified that his father's decision to adopt the name Ajit had nothing to do with his religious identity. He stressed that the primary reason was simply that Hamid Ali Khan was a long name and 'Ajit' suited his father.
“Mere father ke naam badalne ke piche Musalman ka koi angle nahi tha. Unka naam bahut lamba tha aur Ajit unhe suit kar gaya” (There was no Muslim angle behind my father changing his name. His name was very long, and 'Ajit' suited him),” Shehzad said.
The name also carried a powerful meaning. Explaining the significance of ‘Ajit’, Shehzad said, “Unke naam ka matlab tha – jo hamesha jeeta hai, kabhi nahi harta (The meaning of his name was someone who always wins and never loses).”
It is worth mentioning that filmmaker K Amarnath and the late actor Ajit Khan collaborated on several films, including 'Beqasoor', 'Sarkar', 'Bada Bhai', 'Baraat' and 'Kabli Khan', among others.  (ANI)