Ratna Pathak Shah is a familiar face in the movies and on television (Sarabhai vs Sarabhai), but theatre remains her first love. Along with husband Naseeruddin Shah, she recently performed in Ole World at the Prithvi theatre festival in Mumbai.In an interview, she speaks about her last film Dhak Dhak, the evolving OTT space, and her return to the stage with a play that speaks of love, loss, and ageing.She was last seen on screen, traversing atop a motorcycle, the Khardung La Pass, the highest motorable road in the world, in the film Dhak Dhak. With her on this ride were fellow actors Dia Mirza, Fatima Sana Sheikh, and Sanjana Sanghi. Earlier in September, she played an equally fascinating part in Vishal Bhardwaj’s series Charlie Chopra and The Mystery of Solang Valley.At 66, Ratna Pathak Shah is living her best, with a wide variety of roles that tap into her talent. She is not the one-dimensional mother of the yesteryears, and is raring to go, whether it is in film, in an OTT show or the stage.Now, she is back with an adaptation of Aleksei Arbuzov’s Old World, on stage with Naseeruddin Shah. The last time the couple was seen together on stage, with just each other, was in Dear Liar, nearly two decades ago. Directed by Arghya Lahiri, the play is set in a medical sanitorium and is a rumination on old age and all that it brings.He is a doctor from Lucknow, she is a Parsi patient from Mumbai. Pathak Shah leans heavily on her Dadar Parsi Colony upbringing, where she was surrounded by Parsis, and the result is a quirky and endearing character. Old World is gentle and emotional. The characters bloom, and the Shahs shine once again. They reminisce, dance, sing, and speak of aging and love with rare conviction.For all her cinematic pursuits, Pathak Shah never left the stage, returning at every chance she got to their company Motley Theatre. In an interview, she talks about Dhak Dhak, working with Naseeruddin Shah over the years, the hope she places on OTT content, and her undying love for live performance. Below are the edited excerpts of the interview:You’ve just had a big film release with Dhak Dhak, what was that like?Oh yes, Dhak Dhak turned out to be a good film. I enjoyed the experience of the making [of the film]. I was concerned about how the final product would be, but I was very pleased with the result. It is a moving and effective film, so I am happy to have been a part of it.You’ve been quite vocal about older actresses not getting the roles they deserve in films. Do you think that is changing? Does this hold in theatre, too?Yes, I do think there have been changes. Many more interesting parts are being written for actors of all ages. I think we are seeing quite a special moment in our journey of film, television, and OTT. Television has lagged but OTT has made a huge impact with different kinds of stories being told, different kinds of actors being cast, and most importantly, new kinds of writing.I am very hopeful. I am getting more interesting parts than my mother did at this age.On stage too, women of all ages have been writing material for themselves. We are not sitting down and waiting for others to write for us. Take Jyoti Dogra for example, or Divya Jagdale. They have been writing stories that mean things to them.The theatre is becoming a much more democratic space.Having worked with Naseeruddin Shah in both film and theatre, what do you enjoy most about working together? What have you learned from him?I have been working with Naseer since 1975, and in quite a few productions he has directed. I can say honestly that I have learned most of what I know about acting from working with him, watching him work, and doing the workshops that he conducts.The collaboration between us has been hugely beneficial for me. Naseer as a director, has been particularly wonderful for a play like Ismat Aapa Ke Naam. The idea was his. I couldn’t believe we could pull it off beyond a few shows. After all, who would understand Urdu here in Mumbai? And 22 years later, we are still performing it.I learned a lot during it. It clarified my ideas about acting and the craft – also, the purpose of it. For me, Ismat Aapa Ke Naam, and Dear Liar, have both been colleges of acting. They helped me develop as a person and as an actor. And Naseer’s part in both of them has been extraordinary.Though he did not direct Dear Liar, we have spent a long time with it. Now, what we are both doing is significantly more mature, more watchable, and more meaningful to us than when we first started doing the play.This has been an incredible journey and I am glad that Naseer has been a part of it, every step of the way. Sometimes showing the way, sometimes pulling me along, but always by my side.Ratna Pathak Shah, on stage with Naseeruddin Shah, in an adaptation of Aleksei Arbuzov’s Old World. Photo provided by author.When working together, do the lines between rehearsals and home blur?The preparation continues after rehearsal time, both individually and together. Both of us read our scripts quite often and for as long as we can. We read it together outside of rehearsal time and that’s when we get to talk about it and share our ideas. That is very precious.You return to the stage with Old World. What is it that keeps you coming back?I keep coming back to the stage because I love it, and it gives me the chance to play parts that I wouldn’t, in film. It keeps me working regularly and engaging with a live audience every time. It helps me improve and change as the shows go along.That experience of working with a live audience is fabulous, and I wouldn’t give it up for anything.Ratna Pathak Shah, on stage with Naseeruddin Shah, in an adaptation of Aleksei Arbuzov’s Old World. Photo provided by author.When did you first read Old World by Aleksei Arbuzov? What was your reaction to it and how did you prepare for your character?I had seen the Kendals (Geoffrey and Laura) do Old World many years ago, and I had read the script before. When Naseer decided to do it, I reread the script and found that it had great possibilities. It spoke to me at this stage in my life very clearly. I found many resonances with the character.Arghya Lahiri, the director, and I started reading the play together in April. We started working on it in August, so we spent a lot of time with the script.The way I approached this script and the character is the same as every other time, which is by reading the script as many times as I can, and imagining what I would be if I were in this situation and I was this person. It helps me create a picture of the character in my head.The whole process is a mix of reading, practice, and a large dollop of imagination.How difficult has it been to work together in Old World, a piece that is vulnerable and addresses the complexities of old age? It hasn’t been difficult at all and it has been a pleasure all over again. It’s just the two of us after a long time, since Dear Liar. So, there is a special feeling to it.This piece, Old World, is something we have thought about a lot and experienced some of the things that have been spoken about in the play. It resonates with me as I grow older.It is a positive take on this issue. There is no moaning and groaning. Most Indian plays on old age tend to be extremely sentimental and make old people into poor old things. This play doesn’t. It shows them as vibrant human beings with different approaches to life.It has been a while since you directed a play. What keeps you away from directing for the stage? What about film, is that something you would want to do?Yes, it has been quite a while. I haven’t found anything I would like to direct. The last two experiences I had weren’t satisfactory and I need to brush up my skills before I try it again.I don’t think I will try directing a film.What are your comments on the current state of contemporary theatre in Mumbai, and India? What are some of the significant changes you see today? Theatre is going through a rather challenging phase. It may not appear so when you are at Prithvi Theatre. Elsewhere, it is a problem, particularly with the bigger theatre groups. I don’t think it’s as much of a commercially viable proposition as it used to be. Television and OTT have eaten into the audiences. Also, the distances and commute have made it more difficult. Not to mention the pandemic and the lockdown that pulled the rug from under our feet.On the other hand, it has spawned all sorts of theatrical activity and people have been forced to imagine performance in different ways and not just in a physical theatre. They are productions that could be done in someone’s drawing room, in a small theatre space, in a black box, on the street, or in a garden. This flexibility of ideas and these imaginative theatre techniques have been a source of hope for me.The theatre will find different forms now and will continue to fulfil its real purpose, which is to have contact with each member of the audience.Are there any recent theatre productions that you have watched and enjoyed? I enjoyed Sangeet Bari (written by Bhushan Korgaonkar and directed by Savitri Medhatul) very much. Apart from being informative, it was entertaining and beautiful to watch.I equally loved Jo Dooba So Paar (written by Ajitesh Gupta, and directed by Ajitesh Gupta and Mohit Agarwal), based on the life of Amir Khusrau. The energy of the performers, how the story was told, and the absolute magic of the singing. I enjoyed everything about it.And another one, quite different in mood, was Akarsh Khurana’s The F Word. I found it imaginatively staged, and talking about something that is a part of our lives and will be more so, going forward.The writer is a Mumbai-based journalist.
