Twinkle Khanna on staying out of limelight in her thirties: 'I was fine hiding'
Synopsis
Twinkle Khanna has revealed she spent her thirties deliberately avoiding the spotlight — and that it took her best friend Anu Dewan to drag her back out. The candid Instagram post pairs personal reflection with her signature humour, and serves as a reminder that one of Bollywood's most recognisable reinventions was, in part, the work of a persistent best friend.
Key Takeaways
Twinkle Khanna shared on Instagram that she was 'fine staying out of the limelight' during her thirties .
She credits best friend Anu Dewan for encouraging her to 'stop hiding, do covers and get out there'.
Khanna quipped she still prefers to go to bed by nine-thirty , but Dewan 'forces' her to stay out late.
Days earlier, she posted a humorous comparison of the sari and jeans as metaphors for the body's changes over time, referencing her book 'Pyjamas Are Forgiving' .
After stepping away from acting — credits include 'Mela' and 'Barsaat' — Khanna debuted as an author in 2015 with 'Mrs Funnybones' .
Author and entrepreneur Twinkle Khanna has opened up about a formative chapter in her life — her thirties — when she was entirely comfortable staying away from public attention. In a candid Instagram post shared on 22 September 2026, the former actress reflected on how her perspective shifted over the years, crediting her best friend for nudging her back into the spotlight.
What Twinkle Said
Sharing party photographs alongside her friends, Khanna wrote: 'Before the party and then somewhere in the middle of it:) In my thirties, I was fine staying out of the limelight. My bestie @anudewan5 pushed me to stop hiding, do covers and get out there.'
She added with characteristic wit: 'These days she sometimes forces me to stay out late and let my hair loose, which if I am honest, is what I need since I want to go to bed at nine-thirty. Best friends push you to be your best self, to shine, or in my case, twinkle:) What has your bestie made you do?'
The Role of Friendship
Khanna's post drew attention as much for its warmth as for its self-deprecating humour. Her acknowledgement that a close friend quite literally changed her public trajectory — encouraging her to do magazine covers and re-engage with social life — resonated widely online. The post underscores a recurring theme in Khanna's public persona: authenticity over performance.
Trademark Wit on Fashion and Change
Just days before this post, Khanna had offered another signature observation on fashion and the ageing body. She wrote: 'I wrote a book titled Pyjamas Are Forgiving, but it turns out the sari is truly forgiving. It accepts the foibles of appetite, circumstance, hormones, age and time. Jeans, on the other hand, really know how to hold a grudge.' The remark quickly circulated as a relatable commentary on body changes and clothing choices.
From Actress to Author
After stepping back from Bollywood — where she appeared in films including 'Mela' and 'Barsaat' — Khanna reinvented herself as a bestselling author and entrepreneur. She made her literary debut in 2015 with the non-fiction collection 'Mrs Funnybones', followed by 'The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad', a short story anthology. Both books were well received and established her as a credible voice beyond the film industry.
Khanna remains prolific on social media, regularly sharing candid glimpses of her life, observations on everyday culture, and flashes of her well-known sardonic humour. Her latest post is likely to keep that conversation going.
Point of View
Entrepreneur, cultural commentator — and posts like this one sustain that brand with low effort and high relatability. What is easy to miss is the implicit narrative: the woman who walked away from Bollywood at a commercially viable stage did so on her own terms, and then returned to public life, again on her own terms. The friendship angle is charming, but the real story is self-determination dressed up as wit. Mainstream coverage tends to reduce Khanna to 'Akshay Kumar's wife' or 'Rajesh Khanna's daughter'; the consistency of her own voice across books, columns and social media is the more interesting story.
NationPress
22 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Twinkle Khanna stay out of the limelight in her thirties?
Twinkle Khanna has said she was simply comfortable with a low profile during that period of her life. She revealed in an Instagram post on 22 September 2026 that it was her best friend Anu Dewan who pushed her to 're-enter' public life by doing magazine covers and attending social events.
Who is Anu Dewan and what role did she play in Twinkle Khanna's life?
Anu Dewan is Twinkle Khanna's close friend, identified in the Instagram post by her handle @anudewan5. Khanna credits Dewan with encouraging her to stop hiding and embrace public occasions — and, more recently, with persuading her to stay out late despite Khanna's self-described preference for a nine-thirty bedtime.
What did Twinkle Khanna say about fashion and ageing?
Just before the party post, Khanna shared a humorous observation in which she contrasted the sari — 'truly forgiving' of appetite, hormones, age and time — with jeans, which she said 'really know how to hold a grudge'. The post was a nod to her book 'Pyjamas Are Forgiving'.
What are Twinkle Khanna's books?
Twinkle Khanna made her literary debut in 2015 with 'Mrs Funnybones', a non-fiction collection. Her second book, 'The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad', is a collection of short stories. Both were commercially successful and helped establish her identity as an author independent of her film career.
Which films did Twinkle Khanna act in?
Twinkle Khanna appeared in several Bollywood films before stepping away from acting, most notably 'Mela' and 'Barsaat'. She has since reinvented herself as a bestselling author, entrepreneur and social media personality.
