Akshay’s habit of working too much turned out to be an asset during Padman : Twinkle Khanna

Twinkle Khanna, who turns producer with husband Akshay Kumar’s film Padman, speaks about the experience of working with him, and why they decided to make a film on menstrual hygiene

Twinkle Khanna has turned producer with Padman, which stars her husband, Bollywood star Akshay Kumar. She says it was important to make a film on the menstruation as that is the only way to kick-start a conversation about menstrual health in India. Twinkle says it was fun working with her husband and his habit of working too much turned out to be an asset during Padman.

Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna with Arunachalam Muruganantham on the set of Padman.

Out of all the stories that you wrote, why did you decide to adapt the sanitary man into a film?

We don’t have control over what our mind wants to do, or where it goes sometimes. I wrote ten chapters of a novel right after Mrs. Funnybones. But while I was researching for my column, I stumbled upon the story of Arunachalam Muruganantham. It gripped me and I abandoned my novel and began writing The Sanitary Man. Muruganantham’s journey is an important story and after a while I began feeling that the only way it would truly reach households in both urban and rural India and begin a conversation about something that so far has been wrapped in newspaper, was by making a movie on the subject.

Twinkle Khanna is adapting one of her own stories into a film, starring husband Akshay Kumar. (Yogen Shah/HT)

Did you have any other actor in mind or Akshay was always your first choice of actor? How was it being a producer of a film starring Akshay Kumar?

Initially I thought of making a small movie but when Akshay and Balki were both enthusiastic about the concept, things fell into place rather organically. Padman is my first production so I can’t really comment on what it’s like to be the producer of an Akshay Kumar starrer except to say that on this movie, the things I normally nag him about, like working too much, turned out to be an asset .

Salaam Noni Apa has been adapted into a play. What would you say about this tremendous response your book has received?

I have been trying to write this particular story for over two decades. Initially, Noni was never meant to be the protagonist, she was part of a bigger tableau, but each time I visited this story, rewrote it again and again, she and her sister Binni were the two characters that seemed to truly shine. About the response, what can I say aside from the fact that I am grateful. It was also gratifying to discover that it’s just a myth that an anthology doesn’t sell as much as novels.

From actor, to writer and now a Bollywood producer, it’s been quite a transition and quite a journey. What is it like debuting as a producer with a film that you husband is acting in? Also, are you already considering other scripts to produce? Will Akshay be a part of any of those?

I don’t regret any part of this journey, even the brief stint as an actress where my meager brain cells were probably rather busy trying to commit hara-kiri in despair, because experiences add to your abilities, even if it is just your ability to laugh at yourself. I am looking at interesting stories for my next project, but first I have to make sure that my superhero Padman takes to the skies.