Twinkle Khanna, once a high-profile actress and now a noted author, is no stranger to the pressures of Bollywood’s beauty standards. The industry, renowned for its glitter and glam, often exacts a heavy toll on its stars, and Khanna’s recent revelations serve as a testament to the unspoken challenges many actors face.
Daughter to the iconic duo of Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia, Twinkle Khanna graced the silver screen in the ’90s, capturing the hearts of many with her charm and wit. Despite her promising lineage, success in the acting world proved elusive as she encountered a series of unsuccessful movies. Ultimately, this led her to step away from performing, seeking other avenues where her talents could shine brighter.
Khanna’s candid reflections came during a conversation with Shrayana Bhattacharya, where she disclosed the extreme lengths she went to while shooting for “Mohabbat Ho Gaye,” a song from the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer “Badshah.” Speaking openly, Khanna said, “Most [actresses] are starving. I was starving. If you want your stomach to be flat in all those catsuits that we used to wear—I don’t know why we wore them.”
Her diet during this time was particularly draconian, consisting primarily of channa, a staple Indian chickpea snack. “This was my own brainwave that I’m going to live on channa. For some reason, being Gujarati, I felt that was also cheap, and you know, I could get it easily wherever I went,” she remarked.
This stringent regimen was born out of the necessity to look a certain way on screen, a pressure magnified during the filming of a sequence where co-star Shah Rukh Khan had to lift her. Twinkle humorously expressed her fear of “exploding like the gas canisters in the Parliament,” emphasizing the physical strain she was under to maintain an appearance that was deemed acceptable for a leading lady of Indian cinema.
Recalling the reviews from that era, Khanna noted that one in particular focused solely on her navel, a reflection of the gender dynamics and objectification prevalent in film criticism of the ’90s. “At that time, nobody protested; this was perfectly fine. We didn’t think it was misogynistic. In fact, I think I thanked the writer,” Khanna acknowledged, casting light on how normalized such commentary was at the time.
Despite leaving the realm of movies, Twinkle Khanna’s journey did not end there. She found her voice as a writer, penning books that have resonated with readers nationwide. Recently, she unveiled her fourth publication, “Welcome To Paradise,” a collection of narratives exploring themes of love, betrayal, and the many facets of relationships. Through her Instagram, she shared her enthusiasm: “Some of these characters have lived inside my head for the last five years, and now they are ready to meet all of you.”
The film “Badshah,” directed by the esteemed duo Abbas-Mustan, emerged as one of the more memorable projects in Khanna’s brief acting stint. Despite a lukewarm career in film, her legacy lives on through her writing and her forthright discussions about her experiences in the industry — conversations that continue to demystify the often-glamorized world of Bollywood.
Looking back, Twinkle Khanna’s insights reveal a woman who has navigated the tumultuous waters of fame and emerged with a deeper understanding of self-worth and identity. While her screen days may be behind her, her words continue to influence and inspire those around her, serving as a poignant reminder of the strength it takes to thrive in the limelight and the courage it requires to step out of it.
