My name is Lakshmi Narasimhan Vijaya Rajagopala Sheshadri Sharma Rajesh Raman.” Does it ring a bell, other than the fact that it is an eight-word name? No? Now, read on. “My name is Blaaze,” he reiterates. Yes, the famous rapper in the Tamil movie industry has an obnoxiously long name!
For this rapper, who shot to fame with his Baba Rap for the Rajinikanth movie Baba, each of the words in his name is either borrowed from a family member or an ancestor or has some historical significance or the other. He narrates, “I got the name Lakshmi Narasimhan when my grandfather was at the Ahobilya Mutt. At that time, the pujari said, ‘Lakshmi Narasimhan is coming.’ Vijaya because I was born on Vijaya Dasami. Rajagopala is my grandfather's name. Sheshadri is my great grandfather’s name. Sharma is the tribe or clan. Rajesh, because my mother's favourite hero at that time was Rajesh Khanna. And, Raman is my father’s name.” All these words were combined and finally, Blaaze, as we now known him, was christened Lakshmi Narasimhan Vijaya Rajagopala Sheshadri Sharma Rajesh Raman.
Surprisingly, the rapper has no inhibition in displaying his original name on his website. He says that he is proud of his original name. “As a kid, I never realised the importance of our ancestors, and being brought up in Zambia, South Africa, it was definitely easier to go with Rajesh,” Blaaze recollects. “But later, I realised that all these ancestors and forefathers are the real reasons why I’m here today, and in that respect, am truly proud of it. That’s why the revelation of my long name on my website.”
It was only later, when Blaaze’s interest in music and rap grew, that he realised that it was essential to keep his private life separate from his flashy stage life. “Hence, came the need to use a ‘stage name’. Blaazé, which means to 'do your own thing' seemed appropriate,” he says.
Again, remembering your ancestors and family members through a name is what Yerramsetti Vasuki Bhavanna Narayana Vikram Naidu, who is currently studying film making in Chennai, plans to do when he gets married and has children. “I wouldn’t mind giving a long name to my children, adding a family member’s name whom I’m close to. In fact, my name borrows some words from family members' names and is in fact, the shortest in my family,” laughs Vikram, who is also fondly called Vicky at home. “Having a long name is a part of our culture. This is not confined to any region. Even in North India, you’ll find people with long names and they will have sentimental values attached to it.”
There is no denying the fact that there is some truth in what Vikram says. Master Blaster Sachin would have been known as just Ramesh Tendulkar, had it not been for his family’s obsession with the legendary music director Sachin Dev Burman. Closer to home, actor Nanda's middle name is Sendrampalayam, after his hometown. His full name is Nanda Sendrampalayam Durairaj.
But with each rose come the inevitable thorns. There have been instances where those with long names have borne the brunt of cruel jokes. Arun Kumar, a teacher at a Chennai-based tutorial, recalls one such incident. “I had a friend in college in Andhra by the name Balanthara Vakrathundeswara Vara Prasad. My mates there used to tease him by calling Bava (a term used affectionately for a husband), by joining the first two letters from the first two words of his name. And obviously, he used to get furious.”
Vikram is in complete agreement. “The name in my certificate is YV Bhavanna. But people sometimes call me Bhavna, a girl’s name, and tease me. It can be embarrassing,” he says.