In Conversation With Rahul Khanna

Tell us a little about your childhood.

We didn’t grow up in the limelight at all. My dad (Vinod Khanna) was a huge star but our parents made a conscious decision to keep us away from that world and his work was always something he left outside the door when he came home. We always lived in South Mumbai, while everyone in the film industry lived and worked in north Mumbai, so we were also geographically isolated from it. Plus, my parents split up quite early into our childhood and we lived with our mother so, other than the occasional visits to my dad’s film sets, we didn’t really have access to this world.

How are you with juggling time?

I am terrible at time management because I’m easily distracted. I hate being late but I also hate being early, so it’s a constant battle to plan my schedule, especially given the mercurial nature of Mumbai’s traffic! I tend to make a lot of lists to help organise tasks that need to be done but then get distracted from the tasks by my cell phone, Googling inane things on the Internet and making more lists. Apart from a business manager and a media manager, I think I also need to hire a time manager.

What is your favourite work-related memory?

There are so many incredible memories, it would be impossible to choose just one. I feel very lucky to be able to work in such creative media, with such artistic people. No two days are ever the same and it’s always fun to go to work.

What does luxury mean to you?

To me, luxury is solitude, silence and privacy. Living in big, noisy cities and working in the entertainment industry means you are never alone and that can often get suffocating. I have a few “bolt holes”—places that I retreat to every once in a while when I feel the need to reboot and calm down. A good holiday depends on what you personally like. Some people like big cities, others, historical towns. I personally like being with nature. The most memorable holidays were probably the family ones when we were growing up; spent at our beach house in Madh Island, bodysurfing in the ocean, picking mulberries off the trees and playing with our dogs.

Are you in to watches?

I don’t own many watches. A couple of Bvlgari watches, a Cartier Santos 100, which is my favourite because of its understated, classic and masculine design, and an Omega that I haven’t worn in years. My favourite is an antique solid gold pocket watch that my grandparents gifted me on my first birthday. I’ve never worn it but it is exquisite. Oddly, I rarely, if ever, set the time on my wristwatches. When I need to know the time, I look at my cell-phone. My ideal watch would have a clean, simple design and a nice sturdy feel. I don’t think men’s watches should be too delicate. I would really like an old wristwatch from the 1930s or ’40s. I don’t really care which brand but I like the designs from that era. Recently, I attended an event where I wore an Arjun Khanna jacket that had antique watches instead of buttons. It looked really interesting and reminded me that I needed to get myself a nice old watch.

What's your style statement?

I like good aesthetics. The design you pick should reflect your personal style. My personal preference is simple, classic or retro designs. I’m not into bling and I’m conservative when it comes to personal style. I like simplicity and classic looks. I have seen designs I love from luxury brands like Cartier, Panerai and Audemars Piguet.