Well, not only this is the first question that we learn to answer to, it is also the first step towards your identity.
To begin with me – I was told by my benevolent family members that I had the most number of names written on the rubber sheet on which I had spend my initial baby months. And as I grew up, I used to boast in front of my schoolmates by counting each name on my fingers (back then counting up to 10 was considered an achievement) which would sound anything from Meenakshi Sheshadri to Manisha! Ewww! The basic criterion was that they had to begin with letter M.
And when the admission time came – I was assigned the synonym for micro (Mini!). Thus began my conflict with my name.
Sometimes my name was justified according to my height, and sometimes it wronged me by making people think of me as the youngest/single child of my parents. Add to it, a surname (Kumari!)L, which doesn’t even resemble my father’s name or clan, instead diminishes my super-puffed Rajputaani shaan.
I suffered a major naming complex after I landed in Kerala. My already short and sweet 'first' name was gone and was replaced by my full name, leaving no scope for me to tell my surname.
Year 1995
Kerala, Some hostel situated upon a hill, surrounded by jungle and snakes
I had a late entry into this new social environment where everything although human is different from what I was familiar in my hometown in the Laluland (Bihar, a state in India). The food was different, and the language looked like as if it was different kind of sound escaping from the rolling of tongue with the upper and lower palettes of the mouth. I was very afraid, but had no choice. I cried and was looking around the place, which was to become my abode for the next six years. And then I meet my first friend- Nisha. Beautiful girl, with big eyes and long hair. I had just cut my long hair in short bob, as the prospectus had said- Give your warden a close hair cut. :( Irony. Sigh!
Name Conflict beginning
I was then introduced to others as Mini 'Kumari', as there is another girl in the class named Tiny 'Rajan'. The name 'Mini Kumari' had some rhyming thing in it while 'Tiny Rajan' was rhyming imperfect. So, the name was stamped and sealed on the tongue of all the inmates living in that building in jungle. Thankfully the juniors gave me some relief by adding 'chechi' (used for addressing elder sister in Malayalam) and removed the Kumari part from it. So I was rechristened among the juniors as 'Minéchi' while my little sister shortened it further to 'Mindi' for Mini Didi (addressing elder sister in Hindi). Well, India is full of respect and gratitude, you see!
The Conflict Ends
This so called name torture ended soon after I left Kerala (lived there for nine years) and landed in Jharkhand (Bihar split and Jharkhand was formed in 2001 in India). Thankfully the people restored my name to its former glory. I was happy being simply called as Mini, minus the 'Kumari' part.
Other Interesting Names
Scanning the memory disk of my 'mini' brain, here are some funny and some interesting names that even if i turn 100 I will always remember.
Name 1: Liminu - This little chap in the school was very famous only for his name, which I have no clue as to what it means.
Name 2: Liji, Viji, Shiji - Alphabets followed by 'iji'. Dont ask me their meanings.
Name 3: Jupiter Abhishek - This guy in my school had a name that had all the students thinking. He was a Bihari (People in this region of India have a tendency of giving two names to their ward, thus confusing the mass with dual choice).
Name 4: Priyanka, Neha, Nisha - These names always had no.1, no.2, no.3 attached to them to avoid the confusion among the people.
Name 5: Prem, Rahul and Raj - The Khans spoiled the naming convention after every Tom, Dick and Harry began their intros with - Hi, I'm ____... Gimme a break!
Your name also plays an important role in shaping your destiny. Changing name has changed the fate of many a great actors (also many tv projects obnoxiously named with 'K') in the history of
From planet Bollywood:
To begin with me – I was told by my benevolent family members that I had the most number of names written on the rubber sheet on which I had spend my initial baby months. And as I grew up, I used to boast in front of my schoolmates by counting each name on my fingers (back then counting up to 10 was considered an achievement) which would sound anything from Meenakshi Sheshadri to Manisha! Ewww! The basic criterion was that they had to begin with letter M.
And when the admission time came – I was assigned the synonym for micro (Mini!). Thus began my conflict with my name.
Sometimes my name was justified according to my height, and sometimes it wronged me by making people think of me as the youngest/single child of my parents. Add to it, a surname (Kumari!)L, which doesn’t even resemble my father’s name or clan, instead diminishes my super-puffed Rajputaani shaan.
I suffered a major naming complex after I landed in Kerala. My already short and sweet 'first' name was gone and was replaced by my full name, leaving no scope for me to tell my surname.
Year 1995
Kerala, Some hostel situated upon a hill, surrounded by jungle and snakes
I had a late entry into this new social environment where everything although human is different from what I was familiar in my hometown in the Laluland (Bihar, a state in India). The food was different, and the language looked like as if it was different kind of sound escaping from the rolling of tongue with the upper and lower palettes of the mouth. I was very afraid, but had no choice. I cried and was looking around the place, which was to become my abode for the next six years. And then I meet my first friend- Nisha. Beautiful girl, with big eyes and long hair. I had just cut my long hair in short bob, as the prospectus had said- Give your warden a close hair cut. :( Irony. Sigh!
Name Conflict beginning
I was then introduced to others as Mini 'Kumari', as there is another girl in the class named Tiny 'Rajan'. The name 'Mini Kumari' had some rhyming thing in it while 'Tiny Rajan' was rhyming imperfect. So, the name was stamped and sealed on the tongue of all the inmates living in that building in jungle. Thankfully the juniors gave me some relief by adding 'chechi' (used for addressing elder sister in Malayalam) and removed the Kumari part from it. So I was rechristened among the juniors as 'Minéchi' while my little sister shortened it further to 'Mindi' for Mini Didi (addressing elder sister in Hindi). Well, India is full of respect and gratitude, you see!
The Conflict Ends
This so called name torture ended soon after I left Kerala (lived there for nine years) and landed in Jharkhand (Bihar split and Jharkhand was formed in 2001 in India). Thankfully the people restored my name to its former glory. I was happy being simply called as Mini, minus the 'Kumari' part.
Other Interesting Names
Scanning the memory disk of my 'mini' brain, here are some funny and some interesting names that even if i turn 100 I will always remember.
Name 1: Liminu - This little chap in the school was very famous only for his name, which I have no clue as to what it means.
Name 2: Liji, Viji, Shiji - Alphabets followed by 'iji'. Dont ask me their meanings.
Name 3: Jupiter Abhishek - This guy in my school had a name that had all the students thinking. He was a Bihari (People in this region of India have a tendency of giving two names to their ward, thus confusing the mass with dual choice).
Name 4: Priyanka, Neha, Nisha - These names always had no.1, no.2, no.3 attached to them to avoid the confusion among the people.
Name 5: Prem, Rahul and Raj - The Khans spoiled the naming convention after every Tom, Dick and Harry began their intros with - Hi, I'm ____... Gimme a break!
Your name also plays an important role in shaping your destiny. Changing name has changed the fate of many a great actors (also many tv projects obnoxiously named with 'K') in the history of
From planet Bollywood:
- Akshay Kumar- Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia
- Ashok Kumar - Kumudlal Kunjilal Ganguly
- Dev Anand - Devdutta Pishorimal Anand
- Gurudutt – Vasanth Kumar Shiv Shankar Padukone
- Kishore Kumar – Abhas Kuman Ganguly
- Madhubala - Mumtaz Begum Jehan Dehlavi
- Manoj Kumar - Harikishan Goswami
- Rekha - Bhanurekha Ganesan
- Sanjeev Kumar - Harihar Jariwala
- Shilpa Shetty - Ashwini Shetty
Some from planet Hollywood:
- Colin Farrell - Colin James Farrell
- Jim Carrey - James Eugene Redmond Carrey
- Kal Penn - Kalpen Modi
- Katherine Hepburn - Katharine Houghton Hepburn
- Leonardo DiCaprio - Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio
- Mariyln Monroe - Norma Baker
- Mel Gibson - Columcille Gibson
- Nicholas Cage - Nicolas Coppola
- Tom Cruise - Thomas Cruise Mapother IV
- Will Smith - Willard Christopher Smith Jr.
:) Cheers
Mini
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletewell...my name is Bond...errr...James Bond...What's your say in this..:)
ReplyDeleteIndeed a nice one. Keep writing...
Mini,
ReplyDeleteAs Shakespeare well said, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet."
Your blog brings to life the fact that each name is unique in itself and each one has his or her individuality, whatever be the name; that reminds me, my name has famous bollywood song associated with it! Phew! it is embarassing as the song does not compliment my look.
Regards,
Leena
Leena,
ReplyDeleteThe song is lovely and so are you...:)