Rubina A Khan interviews the multifaceted author Twinkle Khanna for Gulf News:
Twinkle Khanna’s first book, Mrs Funnybones went into reprint over 25 times, and her second book, The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad, published by Juggernaut Books has already gone into its second print run of another 50,000 copies in the first month of its launch! The book was released on Tuesday evening at the JW Marriott Juhu in Mumbai and had Shabana Azmi, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt reading excerpts from the same, with Karan Johar in conversation with the author. Khanna has evidently got the business of funny right, not just in her bones, but also in the literary world, with her distinct voice being read and heard, and most importantly, loved. The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad, currently at the number two spot on the Amazon India bestseller list, is a collection of stories that stem from inspired experiences in her life.
Twinkle Khanna at the launch of her second book, The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad
“I was doing some research for a column when I chanced upon Arunachalam Muruganantham’s life, and his incredible work of making low-cost sanitary napkins for women. His story gripped me and that’s when I sat down, wrote the first few pages and sent them off to my editor to take a look. Then I began chasing Muruga and after innumerable, lengthy interviews, he agreed to let me fictionalize his story and that is how this book came into being. The other stories then followed, as they were all topics I had briefly touched upon through my columns and now, I could weave substantial tales around them,” says Khanna of the book’s existence.
The elemental difference in the narrative style between Mrs Funnybones and Lakshmi Prasad is that Khanna wrote the former in first person, in a “laugh-a-minute sort of narrative” and the latter in third person, “touching upon social issues in a light-hearted manner.” Khanna expands on her choice of publisher for Lakshmi Prasad, with a whimsy that is quintessentially her. “Chiki Sarkar was my editor and publisher at Penguin when I wrote Mrs Funnybones and so when she left to establish her own publishing house, Juggernaut Books, I just followed her like Mary’s little lamb.” She plays down her irreverent sense of wit, with a real, grounded sense of self. “My family is filled with oddballs and we all indulge in playful banter and pull each other’s legs. It’s not as much as them enjoying my company, as much it is for all us to just be together, making each other laugh. It has been a gratifying couple of years now since I wrote my first book. I bump into readers everywhere I go and I think the greatest compliment is that people have stopped asking me about anything else except my writing and I love that.”
Karan Johar in conversation with Twinkle Khanna at the launch
A strong black coffee in the morning, followed by endless cups of green and peppermint tea throughout the day fuel the mother, wife, daughter, interior designer and writer in her. But it’s the coffee she had recently with Karan Johar on his show, Koffee With Karan Season 5, alongside her husband Akshay Kumar that’s got everyone talking. From her husband’s size (shoe-size!) to Johar’s preference of keeping his mike in a part of his anatomy that’s best left unseen and unwritten, gave viewers an almost uncensored version of her unabashedly humorous and mocking self. If there was any doubt in anyone’s mind that she was not the brain behind her writings, KWK dispelled it all with one clean and hilarious swipe on the show that left even Johar and the viewers stumped for words. “I don’t think a brain has been established inside my head; everyone has a brain and I just looked after mine pretty well by feeding it lots of books. I am really not concerned with how people, men as well as women, perceive me, whether I am sexier now that I seem to have a brain or otherwise.”
Akshay Kumar and Ranbir Kapoor
Now that she’s a bestselling author, her words are platinum, especially to an aspiring writer. “I would tell anyone who wants to get published to read everything they can get their hands on and that they establish a routine of writing every single day. Literary agents look for something they call a ‘voice’ that’s distinctive, remarkable and defining and the best writers have one, and you can hear it echoing in your head when you read their work. A writer needs to have a distinctive style as well in order to make it easier for them to find a publisher for their works.”
When she’s not busy observing the world and writing on it, Khanna loves reading to her four-year-old daughter Nitara. “I read every single day to her. Nitara shares my love for reading and also has a curious mind like mine. She is fascinated by Julia Donaldson’s books at the moment,” says the glamorous mother of two.
Ranbir Kapoor read an excerpt from the book
This feature first appeared in Gulf News on November 17, 2016
THE FATTY BAO, a subsidiary of the legendary Olive Bar & Kitchen, is Mumbai’s latest obsession and rightly so, given its vibrant and innovative Asian fare is everything, and more! Behind the Fatty Bao’s red entrance door in a Bandra bylane, lies a tantalizing food haven created by Chef Manu Chandra, with a painted, surreal Eastern dreamscape on its walls, adding to the exemplary Asian culinary experience. The Patty Bao with Lamb Mince is just-to-die for, or rather, worth living for, as are the Lamb Shanks braised in a Massaman Curry, Prawn Tempura Sushi Roll, Brie Tempura with Plum Sauce, Gochujang Lamb Chops, Crab Meat and Prawn Dimsums, and the interesting Duck Hoisin Bao, paired exquisitely with terrific cocktails like the Beach Blonde, Bora Bora and Made in China, rounded off with delectable desserts like the Fatty Hill, Japanese Cheese Cake and the Green Tea Chiffon Cake with Yuzu Cream. The menu is expansive, with every kind of Asian dish imaginable cooked to perfection, making every plate on the menu someone’s favourite! The Fatty Bao is consummate for any time of day or night, whether you’re looking for some sugar or spice!
YUUKA, located on the 37th floor of the St Regis Mumbai, is where stellar Japanese food is at, under the culinary direction of the award winning Chef Ting Yen from Boston, Massachusetts, (of the Oishii restaurants) with the most spectacular views of Mumbai city. The interiors draw inspiration from Japanese tatami mat seating with raw silk chairs and wooden block tables. Mirrors and brocade set off a deconstructed origami pattern, lending the space its decadent, sexy vibe. Avocado Tartare, Moullard Duck Breast, Naan Taquitos, Hot Sizzling Sake and Hamachi or Yellowtail Salmon on Fire and King Crab Leg Tempura are some of the special dishes crafted at Yuuka, that showcase contemporary Japanese cuisine at its best, paired with Yamazaki single malt cocktails and more. The elaborate sushi menu leaves no space, almost, for the delicious Green Tea Layer Cake (40 layers!) with aged rum-soaked raisins and matcha dust — such is the indulgent food experience here.
SERAFINA, situated in the Kala Ghoda district of the city, is New York’s most famous Italian casual diner’s first Mumbai outpost. With its signature yellow signage and the faint whiff of lava-stoned pizzas beckoning you in, the Tartufo Nero (Truffle Pizza) is an obvious favorite. Even a non-pizza eating person (they do exist!) will turn into a Truffle Pizza convert after a slice of this cheesy creation! The Penne Alla Vodka, Truffle Ravioli, Farfalle Limoncello, Beetroot Carpaccio and the D-Salad — named after spiritual guru Deepak Chopra- – paired with endless flutes of Prosecco and Bellinis and the most delicious Tiramisu ever complete your Italian experience here. And if you want to make your own pizzas and pastas, well then, you can do that, too!
The PALLADIUM SOCIAL is located inside the Palladium Mall, with a state of the art Craft Beer Tasting Room — the first of its kind in India — with 12 craft brews on tap sourced from India and Europe’s finest breweries. The solid rough-cut wood log tables and low-light mood make for a perfect beers-and-burgers bash, for work or play, at this cafe. With 15 different types of burgers paired with craft beers in over 215 different ways, and house favourites like Keema Pao, Awesamosas, Prawn Sesame Toast, Naga Chilli Cheese Toast, Akoori, the humourously named Ramesh and Suresh deep fried 5-star chocolate dessert, the Gadbad Shetty icecream delight, SMS burger (Spinach, Mushroom and Swiss Cheese) –Social is the place you have to go to, at any of their four outlets in the city – Colaba, Todi Mills, Palladium and Khar – to try out the best of Mumbai’s diverse food fare on Indian prison plates.
THE IRISH HOUSE pub feels like a little bit of Ireland in the island city, with its dominant green lights and rustic wooden decor, barring the beloved Irish accent. of course, given the pub’s Indian origins, where music, beer, kidney pies, fish and chips, nachos and an exciting array of pub eats come together for a fabulous time out in the city. It is a great place to just hang and laugh out loud with friends, eat your favourite foods like Drunken Fettuccine Prawns and watch ball games on the big screen, any time of the day or night. With six outposts in Mumbai – Kala Ghoda, Palladium Mall, Bandra, Andheri, Kurla and Malad, The Irish House is the best way to get a feel of the city and make new friends over pints of beers (over 40 varieties), wines and cocktails.
Rubina A Khan 