Ratna worried that India is turning into Saudi Arabia

Ratna Pathak Shah spoke about how worried she is about society becoming increasingly conservative. In an interview, she said that for the first time in 40 years, she was asked last year if she’s going to keep a Karva Chauth fast for her husband, actor Naseeruddin Shah.

Citing the example of how common astrology and ‘Vaastu’ have become, she told a leading entertainment news portal that for women, in particular, things are looking especially bleak. She admitted that things have changed for women in ‘crucial areas’, but in many ways ‘nothing has changed’. And things will only get worse, she said, if society becomes more conservative.

“Our society is becoming extremely conservative. I feel that very strongly. We are becoming superstitious. We are being forced into accepting and making religion a very important part of our life. Suddenly everyone’s talking about, ‘Karva Chauth ka vrat nai kar rahe hai aap?’. Till today, no one has asked me this and last year was the first time someone asked me about it. I said, ‘Pagal hun main?’ Isn’t it appalling those modern educated women do Karva Chauth, praying for the lives of husbands so that they can have some validity in life? A widow in the Indian context is a horrible situation, isn’t it? So, anything that keeps me away from widowhood. Really? In the 21st century, we are talking like this? Educated women are doing this?” she said.

She added, “So, we are going conservative. Look at the number of ads for ‘kundali dikhao, Vaastu karao, apne astrologer ko dikhao’. Look at the funny ones, like Nithyananda, who has got an island somewhere. Every single silly, old Guru from under every rock has jumped out and everyone’s flocking to them. Is this the sign of modern society, where a rationalist like Dabholkar gets killed in broad daylight and nothing can be done about it? His trial is still going on and nothing will be done about it. We are moving towards an extremely conservative society. And the first thing that a conservative society does is clamp down on its women.”

Our society is becoming extremely conservative. We are being forced into accepting and making religion a very important part of our life, she said

Citing the example of Saudi Arabia, she said that India is headed in the same direction.