Decoding Twinkle Khanna

For a while it looked like Twinkle may have nearly disappeared from the public eye until the world discovered her flair to notice wit and wisdom in everyday life.
It wasn't long before she had authored two bestsellers and was hailed as one of the most, candid, humorous, stylish celebrities to emerge from the heart of Bollywood.

IMAGE: Twinkle Khanna and Akshay Kumar at the trailer launch of PadMan, which releases February 9. Photograph: Pradeep Bandekar

"I'm a different person who's not my father or my mother. I want to be treated differently from them. I am myself, Twinkle Khanna. I am proud of being the daughter of such illustrious parents, but I would not like to be compared with them time and again." These are her words in 1999.

Twinkle Khanna, eventually, got what she wanted -- to be a star in her own right.

The eldest daughter of superstars Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia made her debut in 1995 but after a middling career decided she's had her fill of the camera.

A career in interior design, marriage to co-star Akshay Kumar and two kids -- Aarav and Nitara -- followed.

And for a while it looked like Twinkle may have nearly disappeared from the public eye until the world discovered her flair to notice wit and wisdom in everyday life and pen it down in a hilarious weekly column.

It wasn't long before she had authored two bestsellers -- Mrs Funnybones and The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad and was hailed as one of the most, candid, humorous, stylish celebrities to emerge from the heart of Bollywood.

Up next, she's credited for the 'concept' of this Friday's release, PadMan starring hubby Akshay along with Radhika Apte and Sonam Kapoor, which hopes to erase the stigma and myths attached to menstruation.

Sukanya Verma looks at her short, sweet, career in showbiz.

Barsaat

IMAGE: Twinkle Khanna in Barsaat.

Twinkle made her debut opposite another star kid, Bobby Deol, in the latter's home production, Barsaat.

After its original director Shekhar Kapur, busy with his pet project Bandit Queen, stepped down, Rajkumar Santoshi came in to helm this classic rich girl-poor boy romance, which enjoyed moderate box office success.

Her shenanigans as the city brat who makes life hell for a smitten Himachal hunk bagged the Filmfare trophy for Best Newcomer.

 

Uff! Yeh Mohabbat

IMAGE: Abhishek Kapoor and Twinkle in Uff! Yeh Mohabbat.

Before finding his calling behind the camera as the director of Rock On! and Kai Po Che!, Abhishek Kapoor romanced Twinkle in Uff! Yeh Mohabbat, best remembered for her dreamy churidars and Sikkim's scenic beauty.

 

Baadshah

IMAGE: Twinkle and Shah Rukh Khan in Baadshah.

Shah Rukh Khan's goofy sleuth is easily the highlight of Abbas Mastan's madcap comedy.

Twinkle pitches in the mandatory glamour for a role that requires little to none of that famous, fabulous, intelligence.

 

Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai

IMAGE: Salman Khan and Twinkle in Jab Pyar Kisise Hota Hai.

One of the better films of her short, sweet, career as leading lady.

Twinkle reforms playboy Salman Khan with a pager and lots of pluck in the easy, breezy musical, Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai only to learn he's got a son from a dead ex.

Both the movie and its soundtrack fared pretty well.

 

Mela

IMAGE: Aamir Khan and Twinkle in Mela.

On Koffee With Karan, hubby Akshay Kumar shared how Twinkle was counting on Dharmesh Darshan's Mela opposite Aamir Khan to do what Raja Hindustani did for Karisma Kapoor and Dhadkan for Shilpa Shetty.

 

IMAGE: Twinkle and Akshay Kumar in International Khiladi.

But if it flopped she'd get married to him. Mela, of course, bombed badly and Twinkle tied the knot to her co-star of Zulmi and International Khiladi.

 

Joru Ka Ghulam

IMAGE: Govinda and Twinkle in Joru Ka Ghulam.

In 1972, Rajesh Khanna played Joru Ka Ghulam to Nanda to super hit results.

In 2000, Twinkle slipped into the Joru's role while Govinda flexed his comic chops as her patient pati in a silly, silly, film.

Their chemistry failed to recreate the groovy vibes of Chi Chi-Lolo or Chi Chi-Raveena.

 

Seenu

IMAGE: Venkatesh and Twinkle in Seenu.

Did you know Twinkle has worked in regional cinema too?

Her Telugu romance starring Venkatesh in and as Seenu was remade as the eminently forgettable Pyar Diwana Hota Hai with Govinda and Rani Mukerji in Hindi.

 

Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega

IMAGE: Twinkle and Fardeen Khan in Love Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega.

Showing up for song and dance sequences as Fardeen Khan's love interest in the E Niwas caper, with Love Ke Liye Kuch Abhi Karega Twinkle bid adieu to the silver screen.

 

Tees Maar Khan

IMAGE: Twinkle in her cameo in Tees Maar Khan.

The actress donned the co-producer's hat with Akshay's Tees Maar Khan, which features a blink and miss cameo from her in the end credits song.

Her co-production Pad Man is based on one of her short stories, The Sanitary Man of Sacred Land from her second book, The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad.