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The super-versatile Ratna Pathak Shah is somewhat of an enigma. Despite being in the industry for about four decades and being a product of the prestigious National School of Drama, Ratna Pathak Shah 's filmography is surprisingly limited. Surprisingly, because she has NEVER given a bad performance to date, and has made a name for herself in both the big screen and TV medium. Ratna Pathak Shah Birthday: 7 Best Dialogues Of Maya Sarabhai That Will Infuse Some Sophistication in You!
Married quite early to the actor extraordinaire Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak made her acting debut with the 1983 Shyam Benegal film, Mandi. Her first noteworthy role was the TV show Idhar Udhar. Ratna Pathak Shah preferred the attraction of the small screen over the magnetism of the Cinema-hall. Which is cool, otherwise we would never have gotten one of the funniest Hindi shows of all time, Sarabhai vs Sarabhai.
It is only lately that we have got to see Shah do more movies, and there too, she is quite selective with her choices. But whenever she appears in a film, even in something as average as Mubarakan, Shah is always phenomenal.
On March 18, 2020, Ratna Pathak Shah is turning 63. On the occasion, while wishing her Many Many Happy Returns of the Day, we list down nine of her favourite performances, from both films and serials.
Idhar Udhar
This 1985 TV series is what brought Ratna Pathak Shah into limelight. The show, created by Anand Mahendroo of Dekh Bhai Dekh fame, had both her and her sister Supriya Pathak as two PGs staying together in Mumbai and how their lives go for a toss when two guys start sharing the flat with them. Both the sisters were a treat to watch in the show, and they returned 13 years later for a sequel, which didn't achieve the same kind of success, though. Thappad Movie Review: Anubhav Sinha’s Social Drama Is a Stinging Slap on Male Privilege With Taapsee Pannu in Stellar Form.
The Perfect Murder
Although she had a brief role in this murder-mystery, Ratna Pathak was fantastic as the disgruntled wife of the lead character, Inspector Khote. This is also the first time that she is paired with her husband, Naseeruddin Shah, for a movie, though they had acted together in Mandi and Mirch Masala. A little trivia for Marvel fans - Hollywood star Stellan Skarsgard, who played Dr Erik Selvig in MCU, has a parallel lead role in the film.
Filmi Chakkar
Before they played onscreen spouses and gained iconic status in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai, Ratna and Satish Shah had played a married couple in this comedy serial. What set them apart from Maya and Indu is that here this couple share one huge obsession - movies. The serial also had a catchy title track that you easily get addicted to.
Sarabhai vs Sarabhai
I think we have talked really a lot about Ratna Pathak Shah's most famous role - the snooty, but well-meaning, 'upper middle-class' Maya Sarabhai. And yet, the praises aren't enough. She is the Queen of Sass, the master of emotional manipulation and is a perfect satirical representation of the ladies who like to hog the Page 3 parties. Ratna Pathak Shah is pure brilliance in the role, even when she returned for an underwhelming second season and with more greys in her hair.
Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na
In Aamir Khan's breezy production, Ratna Pathak Shah plays the social activist mother to the male protagonist, played by Imran Khan. She wants to keep his son in the dark about his Rajput roots, and thus keeps on sparring with her dead husband's spirit (Naseeruddin Shah in a hilarious cameo). With this role, Shah breaks the usual mould of mother characters that we are so used to in Hindi cinema.
Golmaal 3
In this middling installment of the Golmaal franchise, Ratna Pathak Shah and Mithun Chakraborty's track is the best part of the film, that shares close semblance to Humare Tumhare. Especially the flashback portions and when the couple rekindles their old romance.
Kapoor & Sons
Shakun Batra's drama takes the idea of a picture-perfect family and shred it to mesmerising pieces. Each member, save for the sleaze-obsessed grandpa, holds a grudge against each other. Ratna Pathak Shah plays the matriarch who is in an unhappy marriage, while also trying to accept the fact that her elder son doesn't abide to her sense of conventions. It is one of Shah's strongest roles and performances.
Lipstick Under My Burkha
Ratna Pathak Shah in this Alankrita Shrivastava social drama is somewhat of a revelation. She is just brilliant as the geriatric who rediscovers sexual awakening and is later ostracised by her folks for that. Buaji is such a wonderfully-written role that she finds a place in our 15 Best Female characters in the last five years. Women’s Day 2020: From Deepika Padukone in Piku to Taapsee Pannu in Thappad, 15 Best Female Characters in the Last Five Years.
Thappad
While watching Ratna Pathak Shah in this Anubhav Sinha film, I can't help but think of her character in Sarabhai... series. The two characters are diametrically opposite, which is what makes her performance in Sandhya Devi so special. While Maya scoffed at her daughter-in-law asking her to visit Southall in London (because it is 'middle-class'), Sandhya is convinced that there is a road between Southall and Amritsar. The fact that she is highly believable in both the roles is what makes Shah such a wonderful actress. Not to mention, she was incredible in the scene where she holds a mirror to her 'woke' husband about how she has compromised in her marriage.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 18, 2020 01:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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