Mumbai, Oct. 7 -- 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 c...