Wit And The Wordsmith

TWINKLE KHANNA ON HER DEBUT NOVEL, BOLLYWOOD AND FEMINISM

- Mathew T. George

Two years ago, after the Diwali season ritual of “eating, drinking and gambling”, author Twinkle Khanna found out that her favourite pair of jeans had betrayed her. They would not fit. And, a line popped into her head: “Salwars are forgiving, while jeans know how to hold a grudge.”Out of that lonesome line came Pyjamas are Forgiving, her debut novel. Published by Juggernaut Books, it is currently No 1 on Nielsen BookScan’s India list. And, oh, all the protagonists are dressed in white pyjamas and kurtas.

On September 19, Khanna was the guest at The Town Hall, hosted by THE WEEK’s Contributing Editor Barkha Dutt. Organised by THE WEEK and Mojo, The Town Hall is a series of conversations held across India. Presented by Federal Bank, this edition had additional support from New India Assurance and FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO). Former guests on The Town Hall’s inaugural season were Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, actors Kamal Haasan, Kangana Ranaut and Nimrat Kaur, and producer-director Ekta Kapoor.

Khanna’s wit and honesty shone through during the conversation held in The Grand Ballroom of The Grand New Delhi. Many times in the hourlong conversation, it was clear that she had a pre-established rapport with her readers. An example would be the audience response to Dutt, who asked, “How many of you cannot wait to get home, take off your skinny jeans and slip into pyjamas?”A majority of the women raised their hands. It is a first-world problem, no doubt. But then everyone bonds over problems they can relate with.