Ratna Pathak Shah mocks people who rush to get their bags as soon as the plane lands, finds them ‘middle class’: ‘I’m Maya Sarabhai’

There are few characters in Indian television as unforgettable as Maya Sarabhai — the witty, impeccably dressed matriarch from the cult sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. Played with superb comic timing by Ratna Pathak Shah, Maya became a pop-culture icon after the show aired in 2004, thanks to her brutal takedowns of anything remotely “middle class,” especially her endearingly thrifty daughter-in-law, Monisha.

Unsurprisingly, Ratna is often asked how much of Maya Sarabhai lives on in her off-screen persona. In a recent interview, she was posed the question again — and this time, her response was refreshingly candid. “Oh, no, a lot of me has gotten into her. I’m Maya Sarabhai, and very happily so,” she said. Ratna admitted that while she doesn’t have the same arsenal of “smart words” that writer-director Aatish Kapadia scripted for Maya, the character still reflects more of her real self than people imagine.

Also Read | Ratna Pathak Shah calls Sarabhai vs Sarabhai a turning point in her career: ‘Before the show, I was just somebody in the background’

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Ratna also admitted that Maya’s trademark snobbery might not be far from her own opinions about certain everyday behaviors — especially while flying. She recalled one habit of fellow passengers that always irks her: when people jump up to grab their bags the moment the plane lands. “The entire plane gets up and starts taking out their bags… I really feel like saying, ‘This plane ain’t going to run away, sweetie. Stop being so middle class!’ I really want to say this.”

Reflecting on her time playing Maya, Ratna was nostalgic: “It was the best time of my life. I got to say the best lines, the wittiest lines — and got paid for it.” That may be why Maya Sarabhai remains such a timeless character, two decades later. A couple of years ago, the original cast — including Satish Shah, Sumeet Raghavan, Rajesh Kumar, and director Aatish Kapadia — came together for a reunion, with Ratna in tow.