I'm on the brink of turning 50, so it was either a tummy tuck or a Masters degree. The Master's was cheaper!" Twinkle Khanna, almost 49, has mastered many things in life - being a bestselling author, a widely read columnist, a high-end interior designer, a film producer, an actor, a wife and a devoted mother of two. This year, she earned her Masters degree in Creative & Life Writing from Goldsmiths, University of London. She aced it too, with an Exceptional Distinction for her dissertation, and she got longlisted for the prestigious Pat Kavanaugh prize, which recognises excellent MA students. Say hello to TK 2.0. Or is it 6.0? Last year, Khanna moved lock, stock and barrel (with 11-year-old daughter Nitara) to London. This year, she prepares for another test - the release of her book of short stories, Welcome to Paradise, published by Juggernaut. It's her fourth book; her first after her Goldsmiths degree. Its five stories feature a broad spectrum of ideas: Influential teachers, family banter, scenes of small-town life. They tug at the heartstrings, serve up nostalgia, present moments of rumination and elicit chuckles. Mrs Funnybones has upped her game.
"Only extremely dumb people feel they know everything," Khanna says. "Smart people know that they can never know enough and need to keep learning.”
Here's what she's learnt in the last few years, in class and out of it.
Lesson 1: Never underestimate the power of sunlight
"I didn't factor in the stark winter darkness when I moved to London," Khanna says, referring to the long and dreary English weather. "I'm from Mumbai. When it started getting dark at 3.30 pm, I keenly felt the sense of isolation."
Esta historia es de la edición November 25, 2023 de Brunch.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición November 25, 2023 de Brunch.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Hitting the wrong note
Even hitmakers can have epic fails. Here are 10 bands that named themselves in haste, only to repent at leisure
A walk to remember
As India celebrates 25 years of Fashion Week, here's your front-row seat to the first edition, in 2000. The models, the designs, the gossip, the backstage drama, and those after-parties!
Before the tea gets cold
Sudhir Patwardhan's paintings show a Mumbai that viewers may find familiar. But look closer. The details tell new tales, trigger universal questions
Who's the third world now?
There was a time when Egypt or Lagos were considered lawless lands. Now one has to be on guard in London and Paris
Spice routes and detours
More and more countries are discovering that packaged Indian spices are contaminated. Back home, they're so convenient and trusted, we didn't think to look closer. It's time to rework this recipe
Murder, she rewrote
What's better than a woman detective? A team of two. New shows and films are making the most of the partnership, giving crime drama and comedy an edge
What broth this on?
Hopeless ramentic? Slurp up this guide and order the best bowl, every time
Unconventional habits
There's so much more to nuns and convent education than what shows up on screen. Why do the cliches persist?
Photos or pulp fictions?
Gauri Gill's portraits showcase ordinary folks, doing ordinary things, but wearing extraordinary masks. See why the quirky series offers more than what meets the eye
Hear it from a reliable sauce
Kikkoman launched a dark soya sauce for the Indian market after realising that Indians expect Chinese and pan-Asian dishes to have a rich, dark colour. It mimics the taste profile of the flagship Kikkoman soya but has a different colour.
