Tattoos are either mere body art or a medium to express oneself. So, if your favourite Bollywood or TV star has one, there’s a chance that it’s related to something that’s close to their heart. And, be it a tiny dot or a massive inking, fans sure want to know all about it. In the world of Hindi films and television, there are a number of stars who have tattoos representing their love for family, or an extension of their religious beliefs and sentiments. For instance, actor Sanjay Dutt got his parents and wife’s name inked and TV actor Jennifer Winget has a tattoo that reads ‘Hakuna Matata’ — meaning ‘no worries’ — on her shoulder. Some even get temporary tattoos done for a show or movie.
While our celebs love flaunting their body art, their tattoos often become a trend of sorts among fans. As part of our ongoing Celebrity Lifestyle Series, here’s checking out the sweet, cool, trendy or even whacky tattoos that celebs have got inked on various occasions. Read on...
Sonakshi Sinha
Actor Sonakshi Sinha has got inked twice. As a birthday gift to self in 2014, she got a tiny blue star tattooed on her collarbone, which she calls her ‘guiding star’. She even posted a picture of the same on Instagram. Later, Sonakshi got an anklet tattoo, extending onto her foot, which she got while shooting for her film Force 2, in 2015. Apparently, Sonakshi had doodled a design on her ankle, and she realised that she would love to have that as a tattoo. She was in Budapest at that time, and visited a local tattoo parlour to get it done. Sonakshi not only shared pictures showing it off, but even posted a video from when it was being done.
Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt's tattoo has his mother's (Muslim) name in Urdu and father's (Hindu) name in Hindi pic.twitter.com/S0IHDmzUVu
— Ghumman (@Emclub7) June 17, 2015
Sanjay Dutt to be released on Feb 25. U know what's d secret to getting out of jail? More tattoos 💪😉 pic.twitter.com/WtPqOoEU9f
— Gautam (@gautyou) January 11, 2016
With multiple tattoos on his body — including some massive ones — it won’t be wrong to call actor Sanjay Dutt the king of tattoos in Bollywood. The 54-year-old has a tattoo of Tibetan Om with Dutt’s zodiac sign, Leo, and his lucky number ‘1’ below it. He has two Samurai soldiers on his right arm, and wife, Maanayata’s original name, Dilnashin, tattooed on his left arm. Reportedly, the intricate artwork around the name, which extends from his elbow onto the wrist, took almost eight hours to finish. More from Dutt’s body art? The actor has his parents’ names inked on his chest. While his mother, late actor Nargis’s name is inked in Urdu, his father, late actor Sunil Dutt’s name is written across Dutt’s chest in Devnagri script.
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Deepika Padukone
Actor Deepika Padukone has two tattoos — the first, on her nape, has the initials ‘RK’, which stand for her ex-boyfriend, actor Ranbir Kapoor. The two had a nasty break-up in 2009, followed by Deepika making bitter remarks about the Kapoor scion on the chat show, Koffee With Karan. However, the two share a cordial rapport now, and have even worked together in two films after their break-up, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani and Tamasha. Her second tattoo is a vine kind of motif, with the initials in cursive, DP i.e. her name. What’s interesting is that even though Deepika is now dating actor Ranveer Singh, she refuses to get the ‘RK’ tattoo removed.
Ajay Devgn
1 Month To Shivaay Shooting
— Anshul Pareek (@AjDevgn_World) October 7, 2015
Lord Shiva's Tattoo on Chest @ajaydevgn @Team_AjayDevgn @ShivaayTheFilm pic.twitter.com/kugdK0gAyg
It was reportedly actor Sanjay Dutt who convinced Ajay for the tattoo, while they were shooting for the 2009 film, All the Best. Devgn got inked on the chest. The tattoo has his daughter Nysa’s name, and Lord Shiva’s portrait over it. Before he started shooting for Shivaay (2016), he said in an interview that he wants to get his son, Yug’s name tattooed on his chest as well. “Before Yug asks me, ‘Dad, why haven’t you put my name on your chest’, I am going to add the alphabets UG to my existing tattoo. The ‘Y’ in Nysa is already prominent. All I need to do is to add ‘UG’ to it and this should complete Yug’s name,” he was quoted as saying. However, Devgn is yet to get that done. The actor also got a temporary tattoo — Ashtivinayka — done on his neck for Golmaal 3 (2010).
Farhan Akhtar
There’s a rather funny story behind actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar’s dolphin/shark tattoo on his left shoulder. He got it done in a drunken state. “I have one apology of a tattoo. My editor friend and me, we used to work together. It was during the mid-1990s when one night, we got very drunk and decided we should make tattoos. Till date, if you ask me if I can take you to that place, I won’t remember, we were so drunk. But he knew somebody, who was a dock worker by day and a tattoo artist by night. So, we got into a taxi and I just remember that we entered this shack kind of a place where the fan was really low. So this guy opens a tattoo chart and asked which one I liked. I saw this dolphin tattoo and I have a thing for dolphins. So I got it on this shoulder — and it became a shark,” Farhan was quoted as saying.
Priyanka Chopra
.@priyankachopra's tattoo for her father warms our hearts. #BollywoodUpdates #RishteyCineplex pic.twitter.com/l0Gu2RdO9f
— Rishtey Cineplex (@rishteycineplex) June 13, 2017
Actor Priyanka Chopra has one tattoo and it means a lot to her. She got inked in 2012 when her father, Dr Ashok Chopra, wasn’t keeping well. Through the tattoo, the Baywatch star wanted to express her love and the bond she shared with her father, who died in 2013 at the age of 64. The tattoo on Priyanka’s left wrist reads, ‘Daddy’s l’il girl’ and she reportedly got it done during the shoot of her debut single, In My City, in Malibu. It was first noticed when she came back from Los Angeles, soon after recording the single, and posed for the shutterbugs at the airport. Priyanka had been itching to get a tattoo, but her mother, Madhu Chopra, didn’t approve of it. After much convincing, mommy dearest agreed.
Raftaar
Delhi-born rapper Raftaar has two tattoos — one on each of his arms. On the right arm, there is a portrait of Tuten Khamen [Egyptian King], Horus [the Egyptian God of Sky, and the Sun God named Raa — all of these extend from the top of his shoulder onto his elbow. The second tattoo on his left arm is an intricate work of art, which Raftaar got done in his hometown, Delhi, and shared the news with his fans in 2014.
Shraddha Kapoor
☺️☺️☺️ pic.twitter.com/gixIfziTpn
— Shraddha (@ShraddhaKapoor) April 14, 2016
Actor Shraddha Kapoor has a tattoo of a little six-point star behind her left ear. The actor got inked in March 2016 and soon after, she posted a video on Twitter, where her tattoo was clearly visible. “The tattoo is very personal and has special significance to me. It represents six of my closest friends. We’re a girl gang and have grown up together,” Shraddha was quoted as saying. She added, “When I was a kid, growing up, I used to be obsessed with stars and Cold Play is my favourite band because of the song A Sky Full Of Stars. Stars in the Jewish faith signify spiritual maturity too!” She also spoke about how she got it done at home. “It’s my first tattoo and I wanted to be in the comfort of my home while getting inked.”
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Akshay Kumar
While shooting for his film, Heyy Baby, in 2007, actor Akshay Kumar had inked his son Aarav’s name on his [upper] back. Apparently, since Akki was shooting with a baby for the film, he started missing his son. Then, in 2013, the actor got his wife [Twinkle Khanna] and daughter’s [Nitara] names inked on his left shoulder. The news of his tattoos was leaked by a crew member, who saw the actor performing a bare chested scene. “It took three hours a day to get each of the tattoos. The tattoo artist came to Akshay’s home in Mumbai for it. The names are in English and in a simple and classy font, sans frills. Now, no matter which part of the world he is in, his family will always be with him,” a source was quoted as saying.
Sushant Singh Rajput
Actor Sushant Singh Rajput got inked for the first time in October 2016. The actor, who lost his mother at a young age, wanted a tattoo that was symbolic of the relationship he shared with her. He put together the design with the help of his sister Priyanka. Though initially, Sushant wanted to get inked on his neck, he later decided to get it on his back. “The tattoo is a symbolic representation of five elements. My mother and I, are in the centre, implying it is a bond that not even time can defy. The five elements are widely accepted symbols. However, the idea of using my mother and me as elements was thought of by my sister and me,” he had told us earlier. Sushant even posted a picture of his tattoo on Instagram and captioned the photo, “First tatoo #Five elements #Mother and me (sic).”
Saif Ali Khan
Actor Saif Ali Khan has his wife Kareena Kapoor Khan’s name tattooed in Devnagri script on his left forearm. The actor created quite a buzz when he got the tattoo made shortly after he started dating Kareena back in 2008. Later in 2011, there were reports that Saif had gotten his tattoo removed, however, he was clicked, yet again, with tattoo very much visible and in place. The actor got inked again and this time, it was for his film Bazaar, when he got his character’s name — Shakun — embossed on his right wrist. Talking about it, Saif was quoted as saying, “When Nikhil [Advani] told me that I have to get my character’s name tattooed, I asked him the reason. He told me in small towns, parents get their children’s name inked on their wrists because if they get lost in a mela or elsewhere, people can trace them with the help of the tattoo.”
Shilpa Shetty Kundra
Did you know that actor Shilpa Shetty Kundra is afraid of needles? However, the actor overcame her fear, when she decided to get inked for the first time in 2015. The Mohra actor got a Swastika inked on her left wrist and posted a picture on Instagram. The religious symbol was designed in such a way that it also looked like the letters ‘S’ and ‘K, the initials of her name. “I wanted a tattoo, which radiated positive energy. And what can be better than a swastika, which symbolises being one with your higher self. It brings prosperity and wards off evil and negativity. It’s just what I wanted,” Shilpa had said at that time.
Sonam Kapoor
Have you seen @sonamakapoor's birthday gift to herself? Yes, a tattoo! pic.twitter.com/qYc7Oy0lsR
— Zee Cinema (@zeecinema) June 14, 2016
Actor Sonam Kapoor seems to be a body art lover, for she has not one or two, but three tattoos. Her latest tattoo has ‘Faith’ written on the inside of her right wrist, and there is a delicate feather at the tip of the last letter. Reportedly, Sonam got it done by famous Hungarian tattoo artist Balazs Bercsenyi, who posted a photo of the actor with rumoured boyfriend, businessman Anand Ahuja, at his studio. The photo shows Sonam in a serious conversation with the artist. Sonam and Anand were in London for Anil Kapoor’s 60th birthday party in December last year. Besides this, Sonam has reportedly revealed that she has two other tattoos, and a nose piercing, too.
Hrithik Roshan
Change in tattoo, not in surname? My name is Sussanne
— Arjun Hrithik (@iArjunHR) April 21, 2014
Roshan, urges Hrithik Roshan's ex-wife@iHrithik pic.twitter.com/aKCnC2sKuQ
In 2009, actor Hrithik Roshan got a six point star inked on the side of his right wrist, which was an identical tattoo that his then wife Sussanne Khan also got made. The star represents the interaction of the divine with the mortals. For his second tattoo, Hrithik got Sussanne’s name inked on the inner side of the same wrist. Even though the couple are divorced now, Hrithik still has both the tattoos intact.
Sushmita Sen
God's name in Hebrew!!:)my core faith 'I AM' is born from 'Kaballah' n is inked on my left wrist, now dis on d right! pic.twitter.com/IHFzyDq00F
— sushmita sen (@thesushmitasen) March 1, 2014
Congratulations Beautiful People!!!🎉💃🏻❤️😄 V R 3 MILLION lives that choose 2 belong!!👏👍😍💃🏻cheers to us, by ur side..I AM ❤️Thank u! I Luv U 😍 pic.twitter.com/MKYo0YrScx
— sushmita sen (@thesushmitasen) July 8, 2017
Former Miss Universe, actor Sushmita Sen definitely has a thing for tattoos, for she’s got inked as many as five times. The tattoo on her right arm reads ‘Temptation’, while the one on her left wrist is in Latin—‘Soli deo glory’, which means Glory to God Alone. Talking about the Temptation tattoo, Sushmita had said in an interview, “I love my Temptation tattoo, with the T shaped like a dagger. To me, it means that temptation is a beautiful feeling, but it is equally dangerous.” Another tattoo in Latin, on her left wrist, reads ‘Aut Viam inveniam aut faciam’, which means ‘I will either find a way or make one’. The actor got inked once again in 2010 when she embossed ‘I Am’ on the inner side of her right wrist. Her latest tattoo on her right wrist is written in Hebrew and that also means I Am.
Arjun Rampal
Actor Arjun Rampal might not be too comfortable talking about his daughters — Mahikaa (14) and Myra (12)—publicly, but his tattoos speak of his love for them. Both his arms have tattoos that spell out his daughters’ names.
Malaika Arora
Actor Malaika Arora lives life on her own terms, and her tattoos say just that. The 43-year old has got inked four times. The first tattoo on her lower back spells out ‘ANGEL’, while her second tattoo is on her rib, showing three flying birds. She got her third tattoo in 2015, getting the initials of her son Arhaan’s name inked on her wrist. In June 2016, Malaika got a tattoo done on her nape, which shows a bee. She had posted the photo of the tattoo on Instagram, captioning the picture, “To bee or not to bee.”
Rashami Desai
Actor Rashami Desai, who starred in the popular TV show, Uttaran, got inked for the first time in 2014 — it’s a tattoo on her right ankle that she flaunted at an event. It denotes a lotus flower in the hand of Lord Budhha and also has God’s third eye and Swastika. “It’s a religious tattoo that highlights positivity, prosperity, purity, innocence and the fact that God is watching us all,” says Rashami. The actor’s second tattoo is on her right wrist — a halo and a bird symbolising faith. Rashami has plans for another one.
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Jennifer Winget
Actor Jennifer Winget’s first tattoo on her right shoulder says Hakuna Matata — a Swahili phrase that means ‘no worries’. The Beyhadh actor even wished her friend on his birthday with a photo on Instagram where he is pointing at her tattoo. “Like that tattoo on my shoulder... we aint ever getting older!! (sic),” she captioned the photo. Jennifer’s second tattoo, just above her left ankle, has the moon and stars. She recently shared a photo of the same, and it went viral on social media. “I got a tattoo on my leg, which was my birthday gift to myself and during the shoots of ‘Zara Nachke Dikha’, it was visible. But it was so lovely of my fans to have noticed it and I got a feedback about the tattoo being very nice. Hats off to you guys,” Jennifer was quoted as saying in 2010.
Karan Patel
Actor Karan Patel is quite secular and if nothing else, his tattoos definitely express his beliefs. With symbols of Allah, Om and a cross tattooed on his right arm, the actor confirms that he believes in all religions. On his left arm, Karan wanted to get the name of his wife Ankita Bhargava inked, but after a friend told him that getting one’s spouse’s name tattooed, is considered a bad omen, the actor chose to write ‘One Love’. There’s something really special about it. “The ‘one love’ tattoo is in her writing. She wrote it down and we traced it on my forearm. We also plan to get a six-pointed star inked soon, where the left half will be on her hand, the right half will be on mine. Once we hold hands together, it will become a six-pointed star,” Karan was quoted as saying. Ankita once mentioned in an interview that Karan got his first set of tattoos in Goa during their honeymoon in 2015, while the others were done during the couple’s later visits to Goa for their pre-anniversary trip.
Adaa Khan
Actor Adaa Khan has only one tattoo on the side of her right wrist, which reads Maa. The Naagin actor shared a close bond with her mother, late Parvin Khan, who succumbed to cancer in 2013. As a tribute to her mom, Adaa got the tattoo done in 2014 and she mentioned that getting inked was never on her mind till the tragedy happened. “I had never imagined I would ever get inked. But I got a tattoo that says ‘Maa’ with angel wings around it on my right hand below my palm. This has been designed by me. My mother is like a guardian angel and that’s why I made those wings next to maa,” she was quoted as saying.
Gautam Rode
Morn time n it's tattoo time with @haseebtattoo ... He does a good job:) pic.twitter.com/H9NBkJHjEO
— Gautam Rode (@gautam_rode) December 26, 2014
Actor Gautam Rode of Saraswatichandra fame made news when he got inked in 2014, especially for the TV show, Maha Kumbh: Ek Rahasaya, Ek Kahani. He played the role of Rudra, who was one among the seven protectors of Amrit that appears once every 144 years during the time of Mahakumbh. The tattoo was done by Mumbai-based artist Haseeb and it was symbolic to the show.
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Mandira Bedi
Actor-anchor-designer Mandira Bedi has two tattoos on her body. Being a Sikh, the actor had an ‘Ek Onkar’ tattoo on her nape, and one that reads ‘Om’ just below her belly button. Mandira’s Ek Onkar tattoo got her into trouble with Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Their president Avtar Singh Makkar warned Mandira to get her tattoo removed in 2010, as they felt it was insulting to their religion and hurts sentiments. Mandira had later shared that she never intended to hurt anyone, and planned to undergo plastic surgery to get it removed. Now, in place of that tattoo Mandira flaunts a new winged version.
Arjun Kapoor
Arjun Kapoor’s real life tattoo acts as reel life inspiration..☺️shows his immense love for Mom😚 #Respect@arjunk26 pic.twitter.com/TQyvhGHaOX
— Arjun Kapoor Cafe (@ArjunKapoorCafe) March 14, 2016
Actor Arjun Kapoor has always said that he was extremely close to his mother, Mona Shourie Kapoor, who was suffering from cancer and died in 2012. Arjun’s father, producer Boney Kapoor had divorced her in 1996 to marry actor Sridevi. Arjun, who had earlier said that he will never get inked, went ahead and got the word ‘Maa’ tattooed in Hindi on his wrist. On top of Maa is an inverted number 8 — the numerological total of Arjun’s birth date (June 26).
Karan Singh Grover
Actor Karan Singh Grover’s love for tattoos is no secret. The actor has eight inkings. His right arm has tattoos depicting parts of the Bible, while his left arm has a Chinese design along with varied artworks. On his legs, he has a dragon and a ‘superstar’ tattoo. In May 2014, he got the words ‘Anything but Ordinary’ inked on his wrists. In September last year, he added a tattoo of Lord Shiva. It is believed that he is inspired by Lord Shiva’s energy, strength and courage, which is what made him choose this one.
VJ Bani
Bani loves getting inked and has as many as five tattoos on her body. Her first was apparently when she was in her early teens. She got inspired by her mother who got her first tattoo made at the age of 35. On her right arm, there’s a tattoo of a red rose wrapped over a portrait of a bird. On the left one, she has the words Karma and Truth written in English. This one was done in Thailand because of her mother, who follows Buddhism. Now, both her arms are completely tattooed, and the words Rise and Shine sit on her wrists. “I stretch my hands when I wake up in the morning, like everyone else does, and the first thing my eyes fall upon are the two words ‘rise’ and ‘shine’. It makes me happy and my day is made,” she was quoted as saying. Bani also flaunts a star tattoo on the back of her right shoulder. She has tattoos on her left thigh and shin as well.
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