Ratna Pathak Shah’s portrayal of a biker grandmother in the film ‘Dhak Dhak’ has been gaining widespread attention. In a recent interview, the actress revealed that she learned to ride a bike at the age of 65 for this unique role. While savoring the diversity of roles that have come her way in recent years, Ratna candidly discussed the scarcity of opportunities she faced during her youth.
In a recent conversation with Humans Of Bombay, Ratna opened up about the limited roles available to her when she was younger, despite her husband, Naseeruddin Shah, being a part of many successful projects. She said, “I was expecting to get some work in movies. Everyone used to sit in my drawing room and talk about this or that movie being put together, all kinds of discussions because Naseer was in half of them. That was part of everyday situation at home. But I didn’t get work and that did surprise me. And this time period was long because I went to the National School of Drama and came back in 1982 and there was absolutely nothing coming my way.”
Ratna also reminisced about landing a small role in Shyam Benegal’s critically acclaimed film, ‘Mandi.’ She said, “I did a couple of films, including Shyam Benegal’s Mandi, but I think he did it as a favour. Naseer and I just got married and Naseer was supposed to leave me for two months and work on this film. So, Shayam said, ‘Okay you also come.’ But I have a blink-and-miss role in the film. But I enjoyed it. I didn’t have an ego. But the meaty parts, they parts I would have liked to do didn’t come to me and it did bother me.”
In recent years, Ratna has graced the screen with her presence in numerous memorable films, including ‘Lipstick Under My Burkha,’ ‘Khoobsurat,’ ‘Kapoor & Sons,’ ‘Jayeshbhai Jordaar,’ ‘Trial By Fire,’ and more. Her latest film, ‘Dhak Dhak,’ featuring co-stars Fatima Sana Shaikh, Dia Mirza, and Sanjana Sanghi, is currently captivating audiences in theaters.
