Twinkle Khanna reveals growing up in all-women household kept her away from patriarchy: 'I didn’t know there was inequality...'

Growing up in a household full of strong women shaped Twinkle Khanna’s perspective on life. The daughter of Dimple Kapadia, she never experienced patriarchy at home and only realised the realities of gender inequality when she entered the film industry.

Reflections on childhood and awareness of inequality

In a conversation with author and activist Banu Mushtaq for Tweak India, Twinkle reflected on her childhood, saying she felt fortunate to have grown up in an all-female household with her mother, grandmother, and aunts. Surrounded only by women, she never experienced patriarchy at home and only became aware of inequality after stepping into the film industry.

Realising inequality on film sets

The actress recalled that for a long time she failed to recognise gender inequality for what it was. On film sets, when male co-stars arrived hours later than her or enjoyed larger rooms while she was given smaller ones, she assumed it was because they were more senior and established, not because of patriarchy.

Learning independence from women-led upbringing

She even went on to say that it was only in her 30s that she fully recognised the depth of inequality. Having grown up in a household of strong women, she was used to handling everything themselves — from fixing what was broken to earning a living. While it often felt overwhelming back then, she now sees it as one of the greatest advantages of her life, since many other women have to struggle for the same sense of independence.



Twinkle Khanna made her acting debut in 1995 with the Bobby Deol-starrer Barsaat. After a string of unsuccessful films between her debut and 2001, she stepped away from acting and married Bollywood star Akshay Kumar. Later, she found her true calling as a writer, penning popular books such as Mrs Funnybones, The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad, and Pyjamas Are Forgiving.