Twinkle Khanna's comment on unrealistic expectations of Indian parents is bang on

Twinkle Khanna is known for many things--her acting chops, her way with words, and unbeatable gumption. But it's the brutal honesty with which she approaches life that inspires us.

Recently, at the Times LitFest 2016, Khanna made a comment in jest on the unrealistic expectations Indian parents have from their children.  

"I remember joining a boarding school in the sixth grade - I was lazy, complacent and fat. Suddenly, I realized that I had to fend for myself. That's when I discovered this drive within myself. For the first time, I ranked first in class, which was a miracle in itself," the Times of India reports Khanna as saying.

"However, it didn't matter to my family. In class 10, I scored 97 per cent in maths, but when I told my mother that, her comment was, 'You weigh 97 kilos, lose some weight'. I then realized that we are a different family where such achievements aren't appreciated," she added.

A photo posted by Twinkle Khanna (@twinklerkhanna) on Jul 16, 2016 at 12:58am PDT

This got us thinking. Why is it that no matter how hard you try to appease your folks, you just can't do it right? In all honesty, there is indeed something off when it comes to satiating the expectations of Indian parents.

Don't click your tongue in sympathy because this is not a rare incident. Don't we go through the same almost every day of our lives? Academics tops the list of accomplishments Indian parents want their children to exploit, closely followed by beauty and chastity.  In Khanna's case, her mother, who happens to be the popular actress Dimple Kapadia--causally brushed aside her success, placing more emphasis on body weight. But she is not alone.

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Tons of Indian mothers are not satisfied with scholarly success alone. They want their daughters to have the perfect skin, the perfect hair, and an ideal BMI. After all, these attributes help you find a perfect match. And who bothers or remembers how much you scored in class, later in life anyway? Sadly, what these mothers don't realize is that they have given birth to a human and not a robot, who is capable of excelling in everything in life.

Why is it so difficult for mothers to accept the shortcomings of their daughters? And it's not just physical appearance that bothers them. They want their darling girls to do well in studies, look like a Barbie, cook like Sanjeev Kapoor, and be pure like the river Ganga. However, we are sure if they do manage to produce a superkid like that, they will very well be able to pick out some flaws even then.

It's exhausting, dear mothers, trying to be a model daughter that you see in one of your daily saas-bahu soaps. No, we don't want parents to stop pushing their children to do great things in life--but we definitely don't want them to push the poor souls over the edge.