Her widely-read newspaper columns and bestselling book Mrs Funnybones have given her a new lease of life, making Twinkle Khanna a force to contend with in the literary world. The book has gone into its ninth reprint while she gears up for her second release, a collection of short stories that centre around bruised women. Armed with much wit and candour, in a freewheeling chat with Farhad J Dadyburjor she talks about dealing with the sudden success she’s found in her forties, how she’s a lot like her dad Rajesh Khanna and the private scrapbook of family letters that will be her literary legacy.
Ask Twinkle Khanna light-heartedly at the start of this interview whether one should call her the new Chetan Bhagat now that her book has gone into its ninth reprint, and she shoots a glare. “Stop it!... Don’t even!” she deadpans. And that’s really the beauty of chatting with the woman who is self-deprecating of her own starry first name—you get a mix of wit and warmth, with a large dose of madcap humour and unabashed opinion. Much like her book Mrs Funnybones, inspired by her newspaper columns, that’s been the runaway success of the literary world.
She’s honest enough to admit that she’s still digesting all the sudden attention. “To see success suddenly at 40 is slightly unnerving. Because now I’m suddenly in the spotlight and the spotlight for me has always been slightly uncomfortable. So, I have a lot of other things that I enjoy and I’m part of—like I’m part of a save the trees nature group and things like that that give me more fulfilment than going for social dinners. Though it is extremely flattering and a happy feeling, it was not the life I was looking for,” she says. “Look, I’ve been in this business and seen the most successful people and seen success in different ways, so it’s alright for me.”
Yes, for a moment there you almost forget the trappings. Daughter of Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia, wife of Akshay Kumar, a former actress herself— Twinkle has seen the shifting sands of success since an early age. “Success is a part and parcel of life. You can’t focus on it! The reason I reached here was because I didn’t have a plan, a strategy, I did what my heart said to do,” she says.
This story is from the February 2016 edition of Hi!BLITZ.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the February 2016 edition of Hi!BLITZ.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Ranveer Singh: Bollywood's Don Quixote
In an industry falling apart financially at the seams, you sometimes need an entity like Ranveer Singh to remind you of the joyous madness of the movies and why we watch them. He’s the Don Quixote of Hindi cinema, playing out his heart, body and mind, always delivering the unexpected, keeping the audience hooked for the next act, the constantly performing artiste of our times. In this interview with Shalini Sharma the actor talks about how a career threatening health scare liberated him from fear and judgment and empowered him with the conviction that he can do anything he wants.
Valentine's Day Tripping
Dominic Costabir dips into his tried and tested haversack of cues to help you plot the perfect romantic escapade.
Krakow Calling!
The magical city of Krakow is one of Poland’s oldest and largest cultural strongholds that abounds with everything from history and food to some stellar museums and basilicas, discovers Raul Dias on a winter trip in and around the city that sits on the banks of the Vistula River.
Hinglish English
While the brother is a flourishing restaurateur, the sister is a talented jewellery designer. Hi! Blitz meets Shagun and Dishi Somani and finds that the siblings are each other’s back-up squad.
Je t'aime, Bangalore!
Masala dosa is his favourite breakfast; Hampi his favourite travel destination. Ace hairstylist Patrick Bezza tells Hi! Blitz how he fell in love with Bangalore, one rickshaw ride at a time.
The Mad Extravagance
Glittering, risqué, rebellious and just plain fun, the Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria unfolds like a dramatized fairytale for adults. The almost month-long carnival propels the viewer into a magical world of beautiful carnival queens, drag queens, costume parties and street parades.
In the Desi Race
Tom von Bonsdorffhas worked with Swedish carmaker Volvo Cars around the world, and currently as Managing Director of Volvo Auto India is based in Delhi. In a chat with Hi! Blitz he talks about the very first car he bought, the peculiarities that come with the Indian car market and what he loves the most about Delhi.
New Yorker In Bollywood
Not only is Aseem Chhabra the most well-known Indian film critic in New York, he’s also Festival Director of the New York Indian Film Festival and recent author of Shashi Kapoor: The Householder, The Star. He tells Hi! Blitz about the time he pissed off Angelina Jolie’s publicist and the relationships that have soured post a bad review.
The Credibility Issue
He is India’s most travelled globe-trotting film critic. Rajeev Masand is the entertainment editor with CNN News 18, has a scandalously gossipy column with Open magazine, and flies around the world to interview mega Hollywood stars like Daniel Craig and Tom Cruise for his television show. Having covered international award shows like the Oscars and Golden Globes, he tells Hi! Blitz why our Bollywood award shows have zero credibility, and recounts the one time he was threatened after a bad review.
Small Bites, Big Gains
Having been in the profession of suggesting healthy eating portions to the conscious eaters in the City of Joy for a decade, Hena Nafis has now launched Eat Good Food café as a destination for healthy indulgence and a haven for guilt-free eating. She insists her project is the harbinger of a huge future trend in health eateries.
