I Ratna Pathak Shah: cheese am not a slice of that has a shelf life
I have enjoyed most of the mothers I played. Some of those parts are written more cleverly with better lines, dialogues and humour. RATNA PATHAK SHAH, Actor
Ratna Pathak Shah, in her four-decade-long career, has played many unforgettable roles — from Maya Sarabhai in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai to Usha Buaji in Lipstick Under My Burkha (2016). The actor, who was recently seen in the OTT release Hum Do Hamare Do, does not believe in the concept of shelf life for actors as there will always be stories to tell, be it on web or any other medium.
She says, “I am not a slice of cheese that has a shelf life. I hope to act until my last day. I feel my services would be required because people will also need older people to tell stories. I will see to it that I’m good enough to be cast over and over again.”
Having been a part of the web series Sarabhai vs Sarabhai: Take 2 and Selection Day, the 64-year-old shares her two cents on the ongoing debate on OTT regulation: “It’s a very important part of human beings’ existence, entertainment. The kind of entertainment offered to citizens in a democracy is very different from the kind of entertainment offered to citizens in an autocracy. Iran also offers its citizens’ entertainment, but you and I don’t know what that is.”
Besides her latest OTT outing, Shah has essayed the role of a mum on several occasions and struck a chord with the viewers. She shares, “I have enjoyed most of the mothers I played. The so-called mother in Golmaal 3 (2010) was as interesting to play as the ones in Thappad (2020) and Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na (2008). Some of those parts are written more cleverly with better lines, humour and some, a little more crudely.”