Not so middle class

gifted artiste

That is so middle class!” I was afraid of hearing the phrase when I called her for this interview. But actor Ratna Pathak Shah aka Maya Sarabhai, surprised me with her non-snooty demeanour, so unlike her onscreen counterpart.

Opinionated and brutally honest, the actor has brought a twist to the 'ma' roles in cinema, quite different from the ones that her mother Dina Pathak is known to have portrayed. Whether it is Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, Golmaal 3,  or Kapoor & Sons, Ratna has constantly sought to reinvent herself.

With her impeccable comic timing, Ratna became a household name because of her TV ventures in the 80s and 90s. She has been a part of some successful TV shows such as Idhar Udhar, Filmi Chakkar and Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai. Now, the 60-year-old will be seen in a different avatar in Lipstick Under My Burkha, which is touted to be one of the most controversial films of the year. And she has also returned as Maya Sarabhai in the brand new season of the cult comedy show, which has been turned into a web series this time.

In conversation with Sunday Herald, Ratna bares all about being Maya, her role in Lipstick..., her love for theatre, and being married to Naseeruddin Shah.

 
Tell us about 'Lipstick…' What made you take up the role?

I took up Lipstick.... because I hadn't done anything like this before. The fact that the character was bolder than anything I had done before never bothered me too much. The script was extremely well-written, and the film talks about the issues that have concerned me and women around me for years now. These issues are put forth in a really provocative and interesting manner. When I use the word 'provocative', I don't only mean sexually provocative. In fact, that is the cheapest thrill possible. I like to be intellectually provoked. And that is what Lipstick... does to you.

 What about the tussle with the Censor Board?

Unfortunately, this whole issue with the Censor Board has made the film appear to be scandalous. But that is just one little aspect of it, a very small one at that. If people come to see the film in the hope of being titillated by sexual innuendos or activities, then they will be disappointed. On the contrary, they will be put off because none of the sex in the film is attractive in any way. And that is precisely the point of the film.

The story revolves around four women who are faced with all kinds of situations within their families and society. The film is about them sharing their dreams of establishing their own identity and finding meaning in their lives.

Tell us about your character in the movie.

Usha is a middle-aged woman from a small town who decides to learn how to swim. And I thought that was such a potent image — a woman in her 50s from a small mohalla in Bhopal getting into a swimming pool. Can you imagine what it would do to her world? What it will do to her ideas about herself and her body? I was delighted that Alankrita (director) wanted me to do that part. I would have been an idiot to turn it down, frankly.

 What kind of reception are you hoping to get for 'Lipstick...'?

I am expecting a lot of dialogue. I hope people talk about it, think about it, and that, according to me, will be a sign of the film's success. I am sure my own family will be downright 
surprised, if not shocked, after watching the film.

 What is your idea of feminism, and would you call this a feminist film?

The term 'feminism' has become more or less like a gaali. The truth is that women live under oppression. If there are ways to speak up for oppressed women, I would like to explore those ways. I am an actor and I use my work to speak out. And here is a film that makes it possible for us to talk about the condition of women and their reality. Having said that, I don’t think it is a politically feminist film. I don’t think that was the intention of this film.

 What was it like sharing the screen and working with so many women in 'Lipstick...'?

Fantastic. Being on a set with so many other women in different capacities was fun. I only wish the director had cast better-looking men in the film. Men get to have really pretty-looking women all the time in movies. So why couldn't this film, which has four female protagonists, have a bunch of really good-looking guys all over?

Now, coming to 'Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai', how does it feel to return as Maya, and how much of her do you see in yourself?

It is fun to be back. It was almost as if we never left. I guess I am Maya with a polite face. I do feel the same kind of irritation and the same kind of inability to tolerate stupidities Maya feels. But I find that Maya is selective in her denouncement of silliness. As Ratna, I can deal with the stupidities of average people.

 You are always seen playing characters with comic undertones. Do you consider yourself funny in real life?

I hope I am funny in real life. But I don't set myself up to be funny or witty. I personally feel that doing comedy, learning about it and using its potent force as an actor has saved me from becoming a whine and a boring dramatic artiste. You know in India, female actors are required to do two things, look pretty and cry. I am not pretty, so my only option was to cry. Laughing and being stupid is slightly better than crying. Definitely. I am really relieved that comedy came my way.

 Tell us a little about playing an on-screen mother. Is this sort of like following in your mother's footsteps?

These are easy comparisons to make. My mother was a wonderful actor and I enjoyed watching her work. I think she was treated badly in Hindi movies. She got the same boring roles over and over again and she did them because she needed to earn a living. So, she chose the best out of the options she was getting, and I am choosing the best out of the options that I am getting. Fortunately for me, film-makers have started making different kinds of films. If ma had been around now, she would have been used with more intelligence than before.

 You started your career with theatre and have been a part of Motley Theatre Group. How would you describe your journey on stage?

I really enjoy every aspect of theatre. It gives me a chance to practise my craft, and an opportunity to work with thought-provoking scripts. Theatre gives me beautiful words to speak. Whether it is George Bernard Shaw, Shakespeare, Camus, Ismat Chughtai or Manto, I really enjoy mouthing these words. The Motley Theatre Group is now working on a new play called The Father. It is a rather complex subject as we are trying to describe and give the audience a sense of what it is like to be in the shoes of a person who is suffering from dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

How do you resolve your creative differences with your husband?

Naseer and I have worked together for almost 40 years. We have our differences of course, as any two people would. We sort of beat each other at home and the one who wins gets his way. It has been fun being married to him, working together, sharing ideas about acting and being able to grow old together. Every bit of it has been highly satisfying.