Take her word for it

Twinkle Khanna, fresh off a writing degree, out with a new book, and killing it at 49, offers 5 maxims for life. Sunshine, fractions, fitting in and sticking out - she's got you sorted

- Noor Anand Chawla

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."