Mumbai, Jan 12 (IANS): Actress Maira Dharti Mehra, who is known for 'Sasuraal Genda Phool 2', 'Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai', 'Kumkum Bhagya', 'Tera Yaar Hun Mai', 'Shaadi Mubarak' among others, opens up about the reason behind changing her original name which was Ashwini Shukla.

Talking about her name change, the actress says: "Yes, I changed my name, but not for the industry, but to empower all the single parents out there. Earlier, my name was Ashwini Shukla but now I am Maira Dharti Mehra. "

When asked about the reason which led to changing her name, the actress adds: "The main reason was the separation of my parents. Since a very young age, I have been brought up by my mother single-handedly, so I wanted to change my name to acknowledge my mother's influence in shaping me. She has been my role model and guru, she plays the role of my father, mother, guardian, best friend, philosopher and guide."

Lastly, sharing the incident when she went to change her name, Maira says: "When I went to change my name officially, I was so shocked to see that the form doesn't give you the option for mother's name. The form has only two options - father or husband's name. Even after growing in many spheres of life, we are still lagging behind in the little things that make a difference."

"Why can't the form have the option of a mother's name also? Even today, the idea of having a woman's name as a surname makes people jump. We shout and talk about women empowerment but we deeply need to see where we stand when it comes to giving equal rights to women," she concludes.