Ratna Pathak Shah says her and Naseeruddin Shah’s inter-faith marriage will ‘not be allowed today’: ‘Neither of us is particularly religious’

“We didn’t have to face too much opposition. People made a little noise here and there. Not like today. I don’t know what’d happen if we were to marry today. I guess we won’t be allowed to. But in those days, it was much easier. Neither of us is particularly religious, so we were able to take that decision quite easily,” added Ratna, in the interview to Faye D’Souza.

“What also helped is what Naseer said: let’s not try to define our relationship. Does it have to be husband-wife, lover, girlfriend-boyfriend, whatever it is? Let’s see where we go,” revealed Ratna. The two have also worked together in films like Amol Palekar’s 2005 supernatural romance Paheli (as voice artists) and Abbas Tyrewala’s 2008 romantic comedy Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na (as husband and wife).

She also spoke about her and Naseer’s differing opinions about the reason for becoming an actor, over which they also argue a lot. “I am going to quote from Naseer, ‘You shouldn’t want to be an actor unless you feel you will die if you don’t act.’ I am not one of those types. I am sorry. I had lots of arguments with Naseer about this. How can he say that? What happens to me? I don’t feel I will die if I can’t act! I love acting, I enjoy it, I do it with extreme concentration and seriousness. But I don’t think that is the only thing I want out of life. He said, no. ‘If you want to be an actor-actor, full-time, career actor then it has to be that important for you,’” Ratna said.

In an interview with Hauterrfly, Ratna had revealed that while Naseeruddin’s far more conventional Muslim family was more accepting of their marriage, Ratna’s parents — businessman Baldev Pathak and actor Dina Pathak — weren’t completely convinced. “My dad was not entirely happy, but unfortunately, he passed away before we got married. Maa and Naseer had a more rocky relationship, but they settled also and eventually became friends.”

Not only it was an interfaith marriage, but also Naseeruddin Shah had a daughter — actor Heeba Shah — from his first marriage, which ended rather prematurely. While Heeba and Ratna continue to work together in Motley Productions, Ratna also has two kids with Naseeruddin Shah — musician Imaad Shah and author Vivaan Shah, who are also actors like their parents.

Also Read — ‘Naseeruddin Shah told me to stop colouring my hair, work offers decreased after that,’ says Ratna Pathak: ‘I was in the dadi-nani category’

In a panel discussion at the FICCI Flo summit in Hyderabad earlier this year, Ratna also confessed that she resents being second to her husband’s career, but has come to terms with it. “It has been the most fantastic, fun ride I could have imagined. I did not really think it would be possible to have a friendship that lasts so long in such an intimate kind of a setting, but it’s the friendship that has lasted, and that is the most precious thing. That friendship has been created because we work together. I am all for people from the same field getting together. It definitely is a way of supporting, helping and finding common areas of interest; it is quite invaluable,” she said.