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From spotting each other at a sugarcane juice shop, working together in plays, and then transitioning to films, getting married, having children, and emerging as one of the finest actor-couples of all time, Ratna Pathak Shah and Naseeruddin Shah have had quite a journey. But it wasn’t all a bed of roses for the couple, as they faced a minor roadblock when they decided to tie the knot, leaving Ratna Pathak’s family slightly worried.
Ratna Pathak recalled that getting married to Naseeruddin was “fortunately smooth,” but her parents were “briefly worried” regarding their union, “not so much” because he was Muslim or older than her, but because he had been married earlier and had a daughter. Naseeruddin Shah was earlier married to Manara Sikri, and had a daughter, Heeba.
In an interview with The Lallantop, Ratna revealed that her parents were unsure about how financially stable the couple would be, since they were actors — a volatile profession which comes with little stability. “So, this was the problem, and on top of it, he was an actor. Aur aisi shakal ke saath! Back then, Naseer would get to hear this a lot, that how can a guy with a face like that become an actor, including from his family. Even if you are a wonderful actor, survival of an actor is always a tricky proposition. No one can give you a guarantee, it is a tough life.
“My parents were worried, how will we survive. My father died very young, but my mother and Naseer were friendly and became close to each other eventually. So it wasn’t a problem at all. Naseer’s family accepted me happily and completely without any question, that was wonderful,” Ratna said about Naseeruddin, with whom she tied the knot in 1982 after the actor divorced his first wife.
The actor recalled her bond with his mother, and said it was “very good.” She added, “She was a very unusual person, if she were educated, she would have been quite something. She really was such an elegant personality, she would have been someone remarkable had she gotten education, but that time was such.”
When the actor was asked if she remembers the first time she saw Naseeruddin, Ratna said it was at a gannewale ki dukan in Mumbai, and they were co-starring in a play. “I knew that three boys had come from NSD, Naseer, Rajendra Jaspal and Om Puri, though he wasn’t working but he used to come often for rehearsals.”
Ratna Pathak then credited Naseer for having a “huge influence” on her acting, revealing that she considers him her “guru in acting.” She added, “Woh mera miyan by the way hai. In this context, what I have learnt from him as an actor, watching him, observing him, working with him, and working in actor training with him. I have of course found faults in his performances in several of his films. He had to do many films which are certainly not the kind of films he should have had to do. Karni padi woh alag baat hai, career banane ke liye…
“But I recently saw the beautifully restored version of Manthan, the film might look a bit dated, you do feel Naseer is trying too hard when you see his performance, itna karne ki zaroorat nahi thi, uss bechare ko khud ye lagta hai and yet the raw energy which Naseer brought to that part, it is eye opening. When I watched it again, I was reminded of just how much he gives for a part. It is not his most subtle performance, but it is a strong performance,” she said.
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