Podcast Summary: The Interview – Twinkle Khanna: Indian Women’s Aspirations Have Changed

Host: BBC World Service (Interviewer: Tibina Gupta)
Guest: Twinkle Khanna (Indian author, columnist, and former actress)
Date: November 22, 2025
Episode Theme: Indian Women’s Aspirations, Gender Equality, Social Change, and Humor as Social Commentary

Episode Overview

In this insightful episode, BBC World Service correspondent Tibina Gupta sits down with Twinkle Khanna in Mumbai. Born into Bollywood royalty, Khanna discusses her journey from acting to becoming a best-selling columnist and author known for her humor and bold takes on women’s issues. The conversation delves into how Indian women's aspirations have changed over the last decade, the persistent grip of patriarchy, and the role of humor in challenging societal norms. Khanna also offers personal anecdotes, reflects on intergenerational change, and shares her outlook on India’s future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Change in Indian Women’s Aspirations (03:13, 04:19)

• Education and Aspirations:
  Khanna observes that more women, both rural and urban, are seeking education and have access to bank accounts, marking progress.
• Stagnant Social Structures:
  Despite rising aspirations and financial advancement, household chores and key decisions remain largely women’s responsibilities.
  • “I see that while the upper middle class woman is now dreaming of a wine tasting holiday in Italy and her helper is dreaming of an iPhone and branded makeup, they both have to still manage all the cooking of the house… that hasn't changed.” (Twinkle Khanna, 04:44)

2. Upbringing and Its Impact on Gender Views (05:38)

• Raised by a single, independent mother (actress Dimple Kapadia), Khanna saw women as “superior” rather than striving for equality.
• No direct conversation about feminism, but a strong precedent that women must rely on themselves.
• “Every woman has to be independent. And your self worth and value lies in being able to not need anybody. The only person you can rely on is yourself.” (Twinkle Khanna, 06:21)

3. Shifting Identity and Not Changing Surnames (07:11)

• Both Khanna sisters kept their family name upon marriage, not as activism, but natural assertion of self.
• “If I had to change, you know, my name, I changed my first name. It's Twinkle. I like Kanna. I would rather be known as something else.” (Twinkle Khanna, 07:29)

4. Encountering Patriarchy Later in Life (07:56)

• Khanna admits she didn't notice patriarchy’s impact until her 30s, due to her privileged, egalitarian upbringing.
• Realized industry double standards in film—male actors faced less scrutiny and received perks for the same behavior penalized in women.

5. Systemic Barriers and the Role of Conditioning (09:12)

• The “system” upholding gender inequality is pervasive, not just in India but worldwide.
• Even AI models inherit male-biased pay structures, further entrenching disparities.
• “It’s the system. And the system is run by men… once the system is completely dismantled, I think that's when change will come.” (Twinkle Khanna, 09:12)
• Women, even successful ones, juggle “unpaid” emotional and logistical labor at home, limiting true workforce participation.
• “I keep saying that behind every great man, there isn't a woman. She's beside him and she's telling him he's wrong all the time.” (Twinkle Khanna, 10:56)

6. Policy, Power, and Internal Guilt (11:33)

• Real societal change requires policy reform and increased female representation in power.
• Women are socially conditioned to micromanage and feel guilty for not fulfilling both home and work roles.
• Khanna discusses finally letting go of the guilt, asserting her purpose beyond motherhood.
• “I'm here. I have a purpose on this planet… there is a lot more that I want to do beyond that.” (Twinkle Khanna, 12:50)

7. Humor as a Disarming Social Critique (15:01)

• Khanna uses humor in her columns (“like an antibiotic syrup… with strawberry flavoring”) to make tough topics more palatable.
• Everyday absurdities—like relatives commenting on appearances at funerals—become fodder for her storytelling.
• “Once you laugh at something, you can't really look at it the same way again.” (Twinkle Khanna, 15:25)

8. Ageism and Appearance Standards (16:43)

• Indian women are judged more harshly on appearance and age than men.
• Pressure on upper-class women often leads to excessive cosmetic interventions—Khanna jokes about friends looking “frozen” (not the Disney movie).
• Her childhood experiences of being teased helped her deprioritize looks.
• “Most [Indian] men… grow up looking like the back of a dented bus and they continue in that manner… nothing changes for them.” (Twinkle Khanna, 17:16)

9. Dealing with Criticism, Trōlling, and Cancel Culture (18:46, 19:41)

• Khanna is unbothered by online attacks, focusing on her own preparation and execution rather than public reaction.
• “Have I prepared thoroughly…? The outcome is never in my hands so I don't worry about it.” (Twinkle Khanna, 19:21)
• She describes facing editorial censorship, especially on sensitive topics. Sometimes entire columns are edited or withheld.
• Humor allows her to say more than she could through direct critique, inserting “subversive messaging.”
• “You can get away by saying a lot of things if you make people laugh.” (Twinkle Khanna, 21:19)

10. Writing About Religion and Faith (21:43)

• Khanna addresses superstition and faith with humor, questioning the seriousness with which God and government are handled in India.
• Advocates for greater tolerance and a universal, empathetic outlook.
• “My world is enormous… I have empathy for tentacled creatures that breathe methane. And my world is the whole universe. So I've never understood this intolerance...” (Twinkle Khanna, 22:14)

11. Hopes for India's Future (22:45)

• Khanna envisions a secular, harmonious India for her children, shaped by her own upbringing straddling Hindu and Ismaili cultures.
• Shares a poignant story of a Hindu priest honoring her Ismaili grandmother at a Muslim graveyard.
• “I believe in unity, not uniformity. And I want that for the future.” (Twinkle Khanna, 23:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the persistent social expectations for women:
  “They now have different aspirations, but their life has not changed… they both have to still manage all the cooking of the house...” (Twinkle Khanna, 04:44)

• On humor and social critique:
  “Once you laugh at something, you can't really look at it the same way again.” (Twinkle Khanna, 15:25)

• On self-worth and independence:
  “Every woman has to be independent. And your self worth and value lies in being able to not need anybody.” (Twinkle Khanna, 06:21)

• On multitasking and guilt:
  “We've been tasked with this title of multitasker… Does our brain work that differently from a man's? …I've now stopped feeling guilty. I've shut that part of my brain down.” (Twinkle Khanna, 11:47)

• On female solidarity:
  “For her to climb, it's not him, it's other women are holding the ladder… It's always other women.” (Twinkle Khanna, 10:56)

• On handling criticism and controversy:
  “I don't worry about brick bats at all. You know, this is the life I've chosen. …I would have never done so many things in my life. I had been so worried about what people were saying.” (Twinkle Khanna, 19:14)

• On secular India:
  “I believe in unity, not uniformity. And I want that for the future.” (Twinkle Khanna, 23:47)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:13 / 04:19 – Discussion on changing aspirations, unchanging roles for women
• 05:38 – Khanna’s upbringing and its impact on her feminist outlook
• 07:11 – Keeping original surnames, perceived privilege
• 07:56 – First awareness of patriarchy in adulthood
• 09:12 – Systemic barriers, societal conditioning, internalized expectations
• 11:33 – Policy, power, and overcoming “guilt”
• 15:01 – Humor as a tool for social change, family anecdotes
• 16:43 – Ageism, beauty standards, personal resilience
• 18:46 – Managing fame, trolling, criticism, and cancel culture
• 21:43 – Writing about religion, faith, superstition with humor
• 22:45 – Envisioning a secular, inclusive India

Conclusion

Twinkle Khanna provides an uncompromising, witty, and deeply personal look at what’s changed—and stubbornly what hasn’t—for Indian women. She explains how her unique upbringing cemented her commitment to independence, how humor softens yet sharpens social criticism, and why true progress requires dismantling ingrained systems—and learning to set down internalized guilt. Khanna’s hope for India remains one of unity in diversity, a message as relevant for global listeners as for local ones.

This episode is essential listening for anyone interested in gender, social change, and the evolving landscape of modern India.