During the launch of the book Khanna said, "Mrs. Funnybones is about how a modern woman looks at India and how India looks back at her. We live in a world where we have sent a satellite to Mars, but we are looking at the moon and praying for our husband's long life."
Why do all Hindu boys worship their mother? Because their religion tells them to worship the cow – With lines like these (and there are quite a few), at just 235 pages Twinkle Khanna's Mrs Funnybones is a light read. You are able to finish it, from cover to cover, in a couple of hours, at the most. There is nothing you'll be able to take away from the book except a few funny lines, and a glimpse into the life of a film star's wife, but it's definitely worth a read.
Because the language is simple and the narration is broken into journal-like entries, Mrs Funnybones doesn't have to be a focused reading. You can read it in snippets, during a bus ride to work, or tea breaks, and still be done with it in less than a day.
The book has 26 short chapters and each chapter deals with a personal or social issue. From raising kids to handling your husband, and in-laws, Khanna has a lighthearted approach to the little things that bog us down in our lives. She manages to find humor in the mundane, and that gives her writing a fresh appeal.
Then there's the curiosity factor. She is a former Bollywood actor, interior designer, daughter of the 60s-70s Bollywood heartthrob, Rajesh Khanna, and wife of a popular actor whose movies are instant blockbusters.
Because Mrs Funnybones is part memoir of her life so far, Khanna talks about her mother (Dimple Kapadia), mummyji (mother in-law), husband (Akshay Kumar), and two kids and takes us into the world of glamor, occasionally bringing in star guests like Karan Johar, Farhan Akhtar, and Hrithik Roshan. Though the book is dedicated to her father, there is no mention of him and she also doesn't talk much about her 'acting' days.
This isn't a spill-the-beans-on-Bollywood sort of a book though, just regular stuff of a not-so-regular woman. She talks about periods, her husband (who she refers to as the 'man of the house') snoring, and even shares (without even the slightest hint of embarrassment) how her mother tried to get her to lose weight when she was a kid.
Taking digs at her husband, mother, mother in-law (she doesn't even spare her house help), Khanna doesn't hesitate to crack 'daft' jokes about the people she deals with on a daily basis. And she does all this with the finesse of a seasoned comic writer.
However, a downside of the book is that the writing isn't smooth and Khanna jumps from one subject to another and that at times makes a jarring read. Khanna is at her best when she isn't trying too hard. The best jokes are the ones that are unanticipated.
Throughout the book, her son keeps telling her that her jokes suck but that's not entirely true. It's just the clichés (and there are a few of those too) that make you cringe. Also, there are times when she is a bit too forceful and in your face, and it gets a tad bit annoying when she keeps saying 'Blimey' ever so often.
But here's a lady who is not afraid to voice her opinions and piss people off. Khanna writes candidly and there is nothing pretentious about her. And for that, you'll stick with Mrs Funnybones. In very first chapter, Khanna takes a dig at choreographer Saroj Khan's posterior: Before the world even knew Kimmy (Kim Kardashian) existed, we had the famous choreographer Saroj Khan who could certainly balance a tray and a cup of tea on her bottom if she tried, not that she ever did.
Khanna, with her self-deprecating humor and talent for insulting people, shows you that life is what you make of it without being preachy at all. At times it does seem like she is just ranting about life, but nonetheless it will still amuse you. Mrs Funnybones will not leave you in fits of laughter but it will, every now and then, tickle your funny bones.
cillakhatry@gmail.com
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