Ratna Pathak Shah says she didn't face much opposition for inter-faith wedding with Naseeruddin Shah: 'Wouldn't be allowed today'

Ratna Pathak Shah and Naseeruddin Shah have been together for 43 years, and their marriage continues to stand as one of the most enduring in the industry. Despite being an interfaith union, she says they never faced resistance from their families, a stark contrast to how things might be today, feels the actress. Ratna who is known for a variety of her roles, but most loved as Maya Sarabhai from 'Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai' opened up on her interfaith marriage with Naseer.



Speaking in a recent conversation with Faye D’Souza, Ratna reflected on what has kept their relationship strong over four decades. “Simply put, the desire to stay married, and friendship. Common interests definitely help. At least in my case, I’ve seen all these three have been important. We did want to be together, very much so. Both of us had similar views about theatre and films,” said the actor.




She added, “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.”



According to Ratna, one of the things that shaped their journey together was Naseeruddin’s unconventional approach to their bond. “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,” she revealed. Over the years, the couple has not only built a life together but also shared screen space in films like Amol Palekar’s Paheli (2005) and Abbas Tyrewala’s Jaane Tu… Ya Jaane Na (2008).



The two don’t always see eye to eye, especially when it comes to acting. Ratna admitted they’ve often debated Naseeruddin’s philosophy on the craft. “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.’”



In another conversation with Hauterrfly, Ratna had revealed that Naseeruddin’s “far more conventional Muslim family” was surprisingly open to their marriage, while her own parents had reservations. “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,” she said.



When the two tied the knot, it wasn’t just an interfaith marriage but also one that included Naseeruddin’s daughter, actor Heeba Shah, from his first marriage. Today, Ratna and Heeba continue to share the stage at Motley Productions. Ratna and Naseeruddin also have two sons together — musician Imaad Shah and author-actor Vivaan Shah — both of whom, like their parents, chose to pursue the arts.