Why column by Twinkle “punched” Akshay hard?

Twinkle Khanna is the author of MrsFunnybones

Her column on harassment in the workplace, citing the examples of Tehelka owner TarunTejpal and The Viral Fever boss Arunabh Kumar and written in her customary satirical style, is going viral. Twinkle, 42, writes of ‘loathsome frogs’ in her column for the leading Indian daily.  “A few days ago another big frog was added to the list and came in for some virtual dissection – The Viral Fever CEO Arunabh Kumar who is now making people’s temperatures rise in a way he probably never expected,” reads Ms Khanna’s piece.

Arunabh Kumar, accused of sexually harassing a former employee, has offered the defense that as a heterosexual male he is entitled to tell a woman she is ‘sexy.’ Of this, Twinkle writes, “By calling a woman ‘sexy’ in a working environment, you are undermining everything she has worked for, the stereotypes she has had to break, the pride she takes in her abilities, and the inevitable guilt that she feels about not being home with her children, just to be there in that office, trying to make her place in the world.” Twinkle’s latest column has been applauded on Twitter, with her husband Akshay Kumar writing: “A relevant piece where MrsFunnybones’ punches are harder than mine!”

Twinkle further states despite being ‘assertive’ and ‘married to a man who on screen punches holes in walls with his bare fists,’ she has also been harassed by a client. “Have any frogs tried to catch me between their webbed feet? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. A few years ago, a message on my phone reduced me to tears in the car. I had reached breaking point after months of suggestive messages from a wealthy, powerful client that I had been pretending not to understand because all I wanted to do was to complete the project in a professional manner,” Twinkle Khanna writes. The former actress quit films to run an interior design business. She is now a writer.

For any gents unsure of what constitutes inappropriate behavior in the workplace, Twinkle Khanna lists ground rules. “Do not stalk her, touch her, send her lewd messages and emails,” she writes in her column , “As far as compliments go, try telling her about her great presentation skills, her way with numbers, her astute negotiations. ‘Sexy’ is an acceptable compliment within a work environment only if she is a stripper and you are her pimp trying to boost her confidence before she takes the stage.”