Author of her newest book, Mrs. Funnybones Returns, Twinkle Khanna recently offered a rare insight into her secular upbringing that has been shaped by the diversity of her father Rajesh Khanna (Hindu) and her maternal grandmother Betty Kapadia (Ismaili Khoja). In a media interaction, Khanna explained that she grew up in “harmony” between these two cultures, visiting both temples and the Jamaat Khana. She also recalled a poignant moment from her grandmother Betty Kapadia’s funeral.

Former actress, author and celebrity talk show host, Twinkle Khanna recently offered a rare insight into her childhood, citing a secular upbringing. Khanna reflected on how her unique family background comprising of a Hindu father, the late superstar Rajesh Khanna and her maternal grandmother, Betty Kapadia who hailed from an Ismaili Khoja family.

Twinkle Khanna talks about her secular upbringing

In an interaction with BBC News, the interviewer asked Twinkle Khanna on what kind of India does she see and hope that her children should inherit. Khanna replied, “I grew up in that manner. I grew up also with living in two different cultures. You know, my grandmother is Ismaili, so I grew up with that culture, going to the Jamaat Khana.”

Twinkle Khanna talks about a pandit’s gesture

Twinkle Khanna recalled a poignant memory from her grandmother Betty Kapadia’s funeral. Betty Kapadia passed away in November 2019 at the age of 80.Khanna delved into her childhood that was characterized by “harmony” elaborating, “My father’s Hindu, so I grew up going to temples. And I grew up with a lot of harmony between these two factions.”Khanna then went on to recall a poignant moment from her childhood, “And sometimes, I think for me, one of the most beautiful things, when my grandmother passed away, the panditji from my father’s house came, the Hindu priest, he came. And he came and he touched her feet, and he was there in this kabristan. And everybody let him do what he had to do. And it was, it was really beautiful. Twinkle Khanna continued on how that moments shaped up her perspective, aptly concluding the answer to the interviewer’s question, “And for me, that is the India that I would like to see going ahead for my children as well. You know, I believe in unity, not uniformity. And I want that for the future”

More about Twinkle Khanna

On the personal front, Twinkle Khanna is the daughter of Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia. She spent her early years growing up at her father’s iconic bungalow, Aashirvaad. She and her sister Rinkie Khanna, later grew up primarily with her maternal family after Dimple Kapadia moved out. This diverse upbringing exposed her to both Hindu and Ismaili traditions. She is currently married to actor Akshay Kumar and has two kids, Aarav and Nitara.Twinkle Khanna just penned a new heartwarming and hilarious book, ‘Mrs Funnybones Returns’ that delves into personal and political issues. She also hosted the celebrity chat show with Kajol titled, ‘Two Much with Kajol and Twinkle’ for the OTT platform, Amazon Prime Video. The show featured notable celebrities like Salman Khan, Chunky Panday, Aamir Khan, Vicky Kaushal, Janhvi Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Farah Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan.