Ratna Pathak’s parents thought Naseeruddin Shah was an ‘ill-tempered drug addict’, were against their marriage: ‘She stood by me’

Naseeruddin Shah opened up about his love story with Ratna Pathak Shah and added that she stood by him during challenging times. He also revealed how she refused to pay heed to her parents' objections against him.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | Updated: June 19, 2023 02:53 PM IST

3 min read

Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah got married in1982. (Photo: Express Archives)

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Actor Naseeruddin Shah recently shared in an interview that he was instantly drawn to his wife, actor Ratna Pathak Shah, when he first saw her in 1975. He revealed that they supported each other through challenging times, and Ratna defied her parents’ wishes to marry him. Naseeruddin admitted that her parents were opposed to their union because they thought of him as an ‘ill-tempered drug-addict’, but he courted her for seven years.

In an interview with Humans of Bombay, Naseeruddin said, “I just took to her right away. The moment I saw her. This was in 1975, when I had just come to Bombay from Pune, from the Film Institute. I had already done my first film while I was studying at the Film Institute, and we were introduced because she was acting in a play which Dubey Saab was directing. That’s when we met, and I just felt I’d like to know this person.”

The actor reflected on their journey, and said that over the process of rehearsals, they got to know each other. He added, “She has stood by me rather through thick and thin, through very difficult times, through very good times. And I think the main reason for that is because we have remained friends,” he said.

Also read | Naseeruddin Shah mocks ‘immature’ Bollywood stars for having entourages: ‘They like to make a statement, like a shahenshah’

Naseeruddin also revealed that Ratna’s parents were against their relationship. He said, “Her parents were against it because I was married before, and I was a drug addict and ill-tempered. But she didn’t pay any heed to that, and she braved it. In between, she went to drama school for three years. But we were practically living together. So, when she moved in with me, it was like the most normal thing in the world.”

Talking about how it was a marriage between equals, Naseer said, “That’s the mistake people make… when they get married, they begin to take each other for granted. I believe a great marriage is one where neither one’s role is defined. It’s the same with friendship. One should have no expectations from the person you consider your friend. So whatever he does is fine with you. So we have had this kind of relationship where I have not been the master of the house and she has not been the housekeeper.”

The couple, after being in a relationship for seven years, got married in 1982. On the work front, the actor was recently seen in the web show Taj: Divided by Blood.

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