Twinkle Khanna, daughter of Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia, started her acting career in 1995 but quit in 2001 after a dozen films. Now a successful author, producer, and columnist, she reflects on her career, parents, and more in this throwback interview from the sets of Joru Ka Ghulam. Watch the latest Lehren podcast.
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00:00I didn't think that I only wanted to be an actress, in fact I wanted to be an accountant.
00:04I'm actually always clumsy and bumbling around and I think my whole life is a joke.
00:10When you're standing, you're thinking, am I standing properly in the light?
00:14Is there a shadow falling on my nose?
00:17You don't feel seductive in that.
00:20Joru Ka Gulam is a comedy film and the basic plot line is that there are four sisters who don't want to get married for some reason.
00:34And how Govinda comes and by the end of the picture, somehow or the other, he manages to get them married off.
00:40I think that's the basic plot.
00:42And by doing this, by getting every girl married off, the incidents that happen are all comedy, funny tracks.
00:52What is your role in the film?
00:55I play the youngest daughter and I'm totally crazy and I want to have my own way all the time
01:05and I don't think I'll ever fall in love with anybody till I finally meet the hero
01:09and I fall in love with him and that's basically my character.
01:12When do you interact with Govinda in the film?
01:15We have a romance and in order to get married to me, he has to make sure that all my sisters get married.
01:26So we plan how to get each one and who to link that person with.
01:33Shakeen Noorani, who is the director and producer of the film, how was your experience working with him?
01:40I think he was very fast. I don't even know when the picture got over.
01:44It was really quick and he was very organized and I think that's very good because a movie looks fresh when it's completed quickly
01:52and it retains that spontaneity which otherwise is lacking.
01:55As you said there is a lot of comedy in the film. So how did you feel working in a film like this?
02:01It was really one of the best experiences I've ever had because when you portray a tragic role,
02:11even when you're on your own between shots, you're not very happy because you have to maintain that certain mood
02:21but here it was just a comic film and it was great fun because you were laughing in the shot, between the shots
02:28and you come home happy. So I think it was really good fun.
02:32After working with Mela like a serious film, then suddenly a comic, so how was the combination of both for you?
02:40I think for an actor and actress, at least for me, I never think that I have to do a serious role or a comic role.
02:50If I like the script and I like the setup, then I do it. I don't have any slot image.
02:56People never say that she only does serious roles or she only does light roles.
03:00In fact, before Mela I did Badshaah which was completely different. So for me, it's what I like to do.
03:05Which is the strong part of Joru Ka Ghulam? Script, song, music or overall package?
03:11I think the strongest part is definitely the music because I absolutely freak out on the music.
03:20It's great music and there's Chichi and he's incredibly funny.
03:25What kind of basic role would you like to play? You did a serious role and now you're doing a comic role.
03:31What kind of work would you like to do?
03:34I like comedy because I think in real life I'm not a very serious person.
03:42I'm actually always clumsy and bumbling around and I think my whole life is a joke. So I like doing comedy.
03:49You just said that your whole life is a joke. Can you elaborate the whole thing?
03:54No, I think a lot of funny things happen to me or at least I look at them as very funny.
03:59So I prefer portraying that side of me. I'm not a very serious person.
04:04You look like a serious person.
04:06I know. I also look like a very delicate girl and I'm not. I'm very tough.
04:10Tell me, the overall image that you're creating, all the films that you've worked on,
04:16all the actresses that you've worked with, they're all going to make films off-beat.
04:21So have you ever thought of making a film off-beat?
04:27First of all, I don't think that a film is off-beat or commercial.
04:31Like I said, I don't think it makes any sense.
04:33These days, off-beat films have songs and everything. So how can you call it off-beat?
04:37I do the films that I like. If I'm offered a film, which I feel is really good.
04:44Basically, an off-beat film is just a smaller budget film. And if I really like it, I would do it.
04:49What about art films?
04:51Like I said, where are the art films today? They all have songs. They all like our films.
04:55What do you want to achieve?
04:58I think what I really want to achieve is that when I'm old, I want to look back and say that I had a great time.
05:06And I was here and I had fun and I didn't demean myself in any way. And I lived my life with dignity.
05:13Which is the stronger part of your personality?
05:17I think independence. I think today I can do any kind of role competently.
05:28I might not be able to do it brilliantly or badly. I can definitely do any kind of role competently. I can carry it off.
05:36And I think that's a plus point.
05:38How do you define success?
05:40See, success is divided into two ways. One is professional success and the other is personal success.
05:45I think professional success is, at least to me, being part of good films and working with the people I want to work with.
05:52And definitely having hit films.
05:54And personally, success is being happy with your life, with your friends and your family.
06:00And I think putting both together, I'm pretty happy with my life.
06:05Twinkle, how much does your parents' name support you?
06:10A lot of people will think twice before acting fresh with me.
06:15And I get my first break easily. But after that, you're on your own like everybody else.
06:20What is the difference between their success and yours when you think about it comparatively?
06:26I can't be compared to them. There's a long way to go.
06:30And you're talking about careers which lasted for 10-20 years. I've just begun, you know.
06:35Would you ask somebody else in my sphere, I mean somebody who's come like any other actor,
06:41would you ask them, can you compete with Amitabh Bachchan after 5 years?
06:45They've been around for a long time and it'll take me that much time.
06:48When someone says you're the daughter of a superstar, how do you feel?
06:52I'm very proud of what they've done. I think it's a very big achievement.
06:55What do you want to achieve?
06:57I think what everybody wants to achieve, to be the best at what they are and what they can do.
07:02Did you start acting because it's in your blood or you want to do something better or something new?
07:09No, maybe because I grew up among actors, I didn't have much interest in fame.
07:18I just felt that it was coming to me.
07:21And at that time, I didn't even think that only I want to be an actress.
07:25In fact, I wanted to be an accountant.
07:27But I just felt that it was coming to me and let's see if I enjoy it.
07:32And then after about 2 years, I really started liking what I was doing.
07:35And so I continued.
07:37What is the calculation of your acting?
07:39What is this? No calculation in acting. That much you should know.
07:42Like you wanted to be an accountant.
07:45So you calculated something like this.
07:47If I was so good at calculation, I would be an accountant.
07:51How many films would you like to do in a year?
07:543
07:55Why? Why so?
07:57I want time to do my work and I want to enjoy my work.
08:01And I want to also enjoy my life.
08:04These days are never going to come back.
08:06And I don't want to sit and think that I just spent my whole life in the studio.
08:11And I think if I enjoy my life, it shows in my work.
08:16And I like to live my life like that.
08:19Twinkle was a time when 3 shifts used to happen together.
08:23In how many shifts do you like to work today?
08:26I think one, one and a half.
08:28Not more than that.
08:29What difference do you see between that time and this time?
08:32I don't know. I wasn't there that time.
08:34No. When you must have heard about that time.
08:37No, I think it was just the same.
08:39I don't think it's changed much.
08:40Not much change has come.
08:42What is your best film that you like the most?
08:46Script wise, I think when love happens to someone.
08:49That was a film that I really liked.
08:51Out of all the actors you have worked with, which one do you like the most?
08:57You have asked this question to so many heroines.
08:59Has anyone ever told you?
09:00No.
09:01No one will tell you like that.
09:04Why? Is there any special reason for this?
09:06Because you have to work with everyone.
09:09So you can't single out one person.
09:14It's not fair.
09:15What is Twinkle Khanna?
09:17What is she?
09:19She is just a young girl who is enjoying her life.
09:24I always look at the brighter side of things.
09:28And I think if you live like that, then there are no regrets.
09:31If you are asked to regret something, what will you regret?
09:37Nothing.
09:38There is no such thing to regret in your life?
09:41No.
09:42You said that if you weren't an actress, you would have been an accountant.
09:45And if you couldn't become an accountant, what would you have been?
09:48Physiotherapist.
09:52Have you studied?
09:54No, but I have a lot of interest.
09:56But I have to study a lot.
09:58If I start now, it will take 5-6 years.
10:02If you like something, do you ever apply it in your personal life?
10:07Like what?
10:08Like becoming a physiotherapist.
10:10Have you ever applied that you can do this?
10:14No, but I read a lot of things.
10:17And I can tell people about common injuries.
10:22What is your favorite thing?
10:24Mangoes.
10:26Which song do you like the most?
10:28Teri Nazar.
10:29They haven't started showing it on TV yet.
10:31But it's a very fast song.
10:33And it's really nice.
10:35I love that song.
10:36I'm asking every day when they will show it.
10:38Because that's my favorite song.
10:40Tell us about another song, Seductive Bass.
10:48I don't know.
10:49When you do things, it's so much part of your job.
10:53You are standing and thinking, am I standing properly in the light?
10:57Is there a shadow falling on my nose?
11:01You don't feel seductive in that.
11:05Because it's just part of your job.
11:07And it's like any other scene.
11:09The more involved you are in any scene, the more involved you are in such scenes.
11:12Which is your best scene in this film?
11:15My favorite scene is the one at the railway station.
11:19And I think Johnny bhai is there.
11:21And Chichi and me and another girl.
11:24And even when I see it while dubbing and everything.
11:28I find it hilarious.
11:29I keep laughing and I couldn't even dub that scene because I was laughing constantly.