Twinkle Khanna and Akshay Kumar have long been regarded as one of Bollywood’s most admired couples. Married for nearly 25 years and parents to two children, the pair continue to remain in the spotlight. Yet, Twinkle has always stood out as one of the few leading women who chose not to take her husband’s surname after marriage.
In a recent conversation, she finally spoke about her decision—and her answer was as candid as it was simple.
“The thought never even occurred to me”
Speaking to BBC while discussing her latest book and the themes of identity and gender, Twinkle Khanna revealed that adopting Akshay Kumar’s last name was never a consideration.
“I think I’ve been married for about 25 odd years. So has my sister. And at that point in time, feminism wasn’t even a word we used, but we never changed our last name. We are the Khanna sisters,” she said.
Twinkle narrated how a relative once teased her and her sister by calling them “mad sisters” for not changing their surnames. She joked that if she ever had to change her name, she would start with her first name: “If I had to change my name, I’d change my first name—it’s Twinkle.”
Why Twinkle kept the surname ‘Khanna’
Twinkle explained that the decision was rooted more in instinct than ideology.
“I like Khanna,” she said plainly.
She added that many women in India may not have the same freedom, noting that societal pressure still forces many to adopt their husband’s surname. “These are not things we thought about. It didn’t occur to us that we had to change our last name. A lot of women don’t have that privilege even today.”
Twinkle reflected on her upbringing, saying that she grew up unaware of patriarchy because she never witnessed inequality at home. “I didn’t even realise patriarchy existed till I was in my 30s. My worldview was shaped in such a way that I thought we are equal, we are superior, we are everything.”
Realising patriarchy in Bollywood
According to Twinkle, the film industry was where she experienced gender bias for the first time. She recalled how male actors were treated differently despite similar circumstances.
“If the actor came late, no one said a word. But if I was 15 minutes late, I was fired,” she said. She also pointed out the unequal vanity room allocations and shooting schedules. Initially, she brushed these incidents aside, assuming seniority or success played a role.
“It took me a long time to realise it was because he was a man and I was a woman,” she stated.
Twinkle’s recent work
Twinkle Khanna recently hosted a chat show featuring actress Kajol. The show wrapped up on a high, emerging as the streaming platform’s most-viewed program.
