Happy birthday, Ratna Pathak Shah: Our favorite roles of actor-thespian
What's the story
Ratna Pathak Shah, or everyone's favorite high-class socialite Mrs. Maya Sarabhai, has turned 66 today!
In a career spanning over four decades, the actor-thespian has played a wide variety of roles and has never shied away from getting under the skin of numerous multilayered and challenging characters.
What better day than today to celebrate some of her best roles?
Let's dive in.
#1
'Kapoor & Sons'
Shakun Batra's nuanced and piercing dysfunctional family drama Kapoor & Sons is one of the few films that prove that the happy family scenario is at times just a mirage.
Shah played the mother of two troubled sons and brought to light the sheer vulnerability of a woman holding on to her family and her marriage while also seeking peace and emotional fulfillment.
#2
'Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai'
Shah achieved immense stardom and fame through her role in Star's sitcom Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai.
She played a class-obsessed, rich, elite woman who constantly passed sarcastic remarks to her daughter-in-law Monisha, played by Rupali Ganguly (Anupama).
Even though it concluded in 2006, the sitcom is etched in the fans' memory and is perhaps Shah's most successful and well-known role to this day.
#3
'Mirch Masala'
In Mirch Masala, Shah was entrusted with a slightly grey character.
She wasn't exactly a femme fatale, but her character initially didn't rebel against patriarchy and instead happily succumbed to it, leveraging immoral opportunities as they came her way.
The hallmark of a good actor is their ability to do justice to all kinds of characters, good or bad, and Shah aced this role.
#4
'Jayeshbhai Jordaar'
Yash Raj Films's Jayeshbhai Jordaar may not be a remarkable social drama, but Shah's character was thankfully not simply sidelined to the margins and had substantial meat.
She went through a proper redemption arc and went from being unapologetically patriarchal and sexist to being fiercely feminist.
In the end, she even fought for women wronged by sexism.
It is streaming on Amazon Prime Video.