After quitting acting, Khanna worked as an interior designer for a few years, and began writing opinion columns. As an author, she has written the non-fiction bookMrs Funnybones (2015), the short story collectionThe Legend of Lakshmi Prasad (2016), and the novelsPyjamas Are Forgiving (2018) andWelcome to Paradise (2023). Khanna is married to actorAkshay Kumar, with whom she has two children.
Twinkle Khanna was born on 29 December 1973 inBombay, Maharashtra, the first of two daughters of veteranHindi film actors,Dimple Kapadia andRajesh Khanna, with whom she shared her birthday.[3] Her maternal grandfather, Chunnibhai Kapadia was a businessman. Her mother is aGujarati and her father, Rajesh Khanna, aPunjabi fromAmritsar, was from a family of railway contractors.[4][5][6] On her mother's side, she is the niece ofSimple Kapadia, an actress and costume designer whom she "adored".[7] Her sisterRinke Khanna and cousinKaran Kapadia have also acted in films.[8][9] Twinkle Khanna never experienced patriarchy at home.[10]
Khanna made her screen debut oppositeBobby Deol inRajkumar Santoshi's musical romanceBarsaat (1995). She was cast byDharmendra and before the film's release Khanna signed for two more projects.[15] It performed well at the box office and became the sixth-highest-grossing film of the year,[16] and she received theFilmfare Award for Best Female Debut for her performance.[17] The following year she played lead roles inRaj Kanwar's action filmJaan andLawrence D'Souza's romanceDil Tera Diwana oppositeAjay Devgn andSaif Ali Khan respectively.Jaan was a box office hit andDil Tera Deewana failed to do well.[18] K.N. Vijiyan of theNew Straits Times wrote that "Khanna does not look like a typical Hindi actress".[19] While reviewingDil Tera Diwana, Vijiyan wrote about Khanna: "Unlike her previous movies, she looks really good in all her scenes and she can act well."[20]
In 1997, two films featuring her;Uff! Yeh Mohabbat andItihaas were released. Both of these films were poor box office performers.[21][22] Her only release in 1998 wasJab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai, which featured her asSalman Khan's love interest and was a box office success.[23][24] Khanna acted opposite Akshay Kumar in two action films:International Khiladi andZulmi (both 1999). In the former she played a news reporter who falls in love with a criminal whom she interviews. Both performed poorly at the box office.[25] She was paired withDaggubati Venkatesh in theTelugu filmSeenu (1999).[26]
Film directorKaran Johar admitted in an interview that Khanna was in his mind for the role of Tina inKuch Kuch Hota Hai,[17] but she refused it, and thusRani Mukerji was signed.[32] She left the industry after her marriage to Akshay Kumar in 2001, citing that she did not enjoy the acting profession any more.[33] Her last film wasLove Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega (2001), a remake of the Telugu movieMoney (1993).[34] It featured her oppositeFardeen Khan and was an average grosser at the box office.[35]
In August and October 1999, Khanna performed in the Awesome Foursome concert held at the Shah Alam Outdoor Stadium, Malaysia and the Magnificent Five concert atBirmingham, England.Juhi Chawla, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan accompanied her in the former while in the latter she performed alongside Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Akshaye Khanna and Rani Mukherjee.[36][37][38] The following year, she was part of the judge panel atFemina Miss India.[39] She made her theatre debut as the female lead in Feroz Khan'sAll The Best in February 2001.[40] In 2002, Khanna opened her own interior design store inCrawford Market,Mumbai, called The White Window, in partnership with her longtime friend Gurlein Manchanda. Since then, the store has received the Elle Decor International Design Award.[41] She has opened up another branch of the store elsewhere in Mumbai.[42] She does not hold a professional degree and worked with an architect for two years to learn the procedures.[41] During her pregnancy, she practised maps and designs usingCAD.[43] Khanna did the interiors forRani Mukerji's,[44]Reemma Sen's[45] andTabu's houses,[46]Kareena Kapoor's Bandra flat in 2008[47] and Poonam Bajaj's design studio.[48] On the request of one of her clients, she ordered a company to make a golden toilet seat.[49] Khanna is the Indianbrand ambassador forL'Oréal.[50]
Khanna attends Save The Children event
Khanna has also endorsed for and designed Supertech's ORB project in Noida and another residential project in Pune.[51][52] However, Khanna filed a case against Supertech for failing to pay₹10.4 million (US$120,000) as endorsement fees.[53] She also mentors International Institute of Fashion Designing's Academy of Interiors.[54] Khanna is the co-founder ofGrazing Goat Pictures and has co-produced the filmsTees Maar Khan (2010) andPatiala House (2011).[55] She also did a cameo appearance in the former film.[56] Khanna has also co-producedThank You (2011),Khiladi 786 (2012), and72 Miles (2013). She has also been the brand ambassador for the watch brandMovado and endorsedCoca-Cola andMicromax Mobile.[57][58][59] In December 2016, Khanna launched her production house Mrs. Funnybones Movies which eventually co-producedPad Man.[60][61] The film went on to win the 2018National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues.[62]
Khanna is a columnist atDaily News and Analysis after hours andThe Times of India.[63] Penguin Random House have announced that Khanna's bookMrs Funnybones hit the Nielsen bestseller list at number 2 in its first week of sales. Launched in Mumbai on 18 August 2015, the book reached number 1 on the bestseller chart of Crossword's Kemps Corner store and received praise from readers and press, eventually making Khanna the highest-selling female author in India for that year.[64][65][66] Khanna's second bookThe Legend of Lakshmi Prasad, a collection of four short stories, launched in November 2016 sold more than 100,000 copies.[67][68] Her latest book,Pyjamas Are Forgiving (Juggernaut Books, 2018) was released in September 2018 and has made her the highest-selling female author in India in the year 2018, according to Nielsen BookScan India.[69] The publisher reported that the book debuted at number 1 on the Nielsen Bookscan All-India Bestseller List and sold over 100,000 copies.[70][71]
Khanna has been actively advocating the cause ofmenstrual hygiene. She joined hands with Save the Children to promote the right to menstrual hygiene among children and slum communities.[72] She was invited to speak at theUniversity of Oxford in 2018.[73] She was also invited to be a part of an eminent panel at the United Nations, New York and also appeared on BBC world Impact show to talk about menstrual hygiene and sanitation globally.[74][75] In 2019, Khanna also launched Tweak, a bilingual digital media platform for women.[76]
In 2022, Khanna went onto pursue her master's in fiction writing atGoldsmiths, University of London.[77][78] She received a distinction for her final dissertation, and was one of the shortlistees for the Pat Kavanagh Prize.[79][1]
Khanna with her husband,Akshay Kumar, pictured 2015
In 2001, Khanna campaigned for her father's election inNew Delhi.[80] She metAkshay Kumar, for the first time during a photo session forFilmfare magazine.[81] They got married on 17 January 2001 and together have a son, Aarav and a daughter, Nitara.[82][83] Kumar often credits Khanna for his success.[84][85] In 2009,People magazine listed her as the fourth-best-dressed celebrity in India.[86]
In 2014, Khanna and her sister sold their father's house for 85crores.[87] She has maintained aX account since November 2014.[88]
.jpg)
.svg)
