In 2022, Twinkle Khanna embarked on an exciting new chapter of her life when she went back to being a student in her 50s. Accompanied by her daughter Nitara, the former actor-turned-author moved to the UK to pursue a Masters program in
fiction writing
at the Goldsmiths, University of London. After completing her degree last year, Twinkle returned to Mumbai. When asked whether her back-to-classroom experience helped her understand her kids better, she replied, “No, it didn’t! I think education is wasted on the young because they take it for granted. They complain about homework and assignments, while I look forward to every assignment I get. At this stage in life, I’m eager to learn, but it’s just a task for them. So, we weren’t really on the same page.”
‘It’s amazing to be surrounded by like-minded people’
Reflecting on her experience as a student, speaking to us at the the Crossword Book Awards 2024, Twinkle said, “When I was a child, I was very studious. My sister and I were both driven, and I actually enjoyed studying. Math and science were my best subjects, not English. I’ve always loved learning. Going back to school was a life-changing experience for me. It wasn’t just about the lessons I learned at the university, but also about what I learned about life while being a student. It was like living a parallel life. I was there in London for two years. You can’t choose the life you want to live, but you can choose the compromise you want to make. Just because I’ve finished my Masters, doesn’t mean I’ll stop learning. I keep taking courses, like philosophy or short online ones, because I feel there’s so much more to know. It’s amazing to be surrounded by like-minded people, and I never thought I’d have a
college gang at 50
, but here I am.”
Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna
‘Aarav likes some books I read, but my daughter enjoys reading more’
When it comes to encouraging her children, Nitara and Aarav, to read and write in today’s digital age, Twinkle believes in leading by example. “Kids pick up habits from their parents. You can’t just tell them to read. With my daughter, we read a book together. She reads 10 pages, I read 10 pages, and we leave notes for each other in the margins. I might underline a metaphor and ask her if she noticed it, and she does the same for me. As for Aarav, he’s 22 now, so my job as a parent is mostly done,” she said, adding, “Aarav likes some of the books I read, but I think my daughter enjoys reading more.”
‘Humour is about looking at the intrinsic truth, but from a slanted perspective’
Twinkle has been writing for over 10 years now and has gained popularity with her satirical columns. When asked if writing with wit and humour can be tricky, she replied, “I guess humour is basically about looking at the intrinsic truth but from a slanted perspective. That’s how I see life. I try to lighten the mood, even in tough situations, and that’s how I want to portray the world. Is it difficult? No. Once I’ve done my research, made notes and thought of a few one-liners, putting the piece together isn’t hard. It might take me four-five hours, but the hard part is thinking of ideas. That usually happens when I’m walking my dog or when I am in the shower. Sometimes, I have to jump out and quickly put it down before it evaporates with the steam.”
‘AI lacks memory and emotion’
In a world where AI is increasingly used to generate creative content, Twinkle admitted feeling nervous. She shared, “Right now, it makes me uneasy because I worry that anything I feed into AI could be replicated in my style, and I don’t want that. However, I believe that in the future, we’ll have to embrace AI in a way that helps us become more prolific. AI lacks memory and emotion. It might have an image library, but it doesn’t have the emotional connection that I do. That’s why I believe humans can never be replaced by AI.”
