The play's the thing

Actor Ratna Pathak Shah talks about her long association with theatre, daughter Heeba's performance and their next production. Having performed and stayed with a home production —Ismat Apa Ke Naam, for almost 11 years with 350 shows across the country and abroad, actor Ratna Pathak Shah says she has evolved with the play and vice versa. The actor with her daughter Heeba Shah was in the city to perform on the occasion of International Women's Day and presented two stories —Mughal Bachha and Chuee Muee from the play. Ratna says each time she goes on stage for Ismat Apa…she feels she is doing something new. “It gives us actors a chance to improve. The more we perfrom, the better the show gets. As actors we might think we have given our best shot for our first performance but the notion changes as we keep repeating the show. Personally my own understanding of the character has improved, I feel I am being able to sketch the emotions and feeling better,” says Ratna who was also recently seen in the Kareena-Imran starrer Ek Main aur ekk tu. What about their daughter Heeba's performance? “Oh, she is a good actor. Her performance came as a surprise when she first went on stage with the production. Everyone noticed her performance since the first show and I feel Heeba too has developed with every show and has contributed to a great extent to the development of the play. The play she performs in Ismat Apa Ke Naam — Chuee Muee, is women centric and talks about women in society, how they are treated, how women treat other women etc and that makes the play very interesting. The depth of the play had helped her and as she is growing up I guess she is able to understand the emotions and express them better. The play Ismat Apa Ke Naam is based on stories by Urdu writer and feminist Ismat Chugtai. Does Ratna believe in celebrating women's day? “I don't see anything wrong and I don't like the idea of taking an easy cynical stand. I hate the idea of trivialising the issue with questions like why isn't there a man's day? I am happy that at least one day everyone is sitting up and paying attention to the many issues women have. Honestly speaking, issues about women are as important as issues about men, health and education. While we say it's time women received their due, let's not forget that men too need to get their due,” she feels. The actor who is now seen in movies playing the ‘cool mom' says there isn't much happening on screen at the moment and is rehearing for their home production A walk in the woods. Ratna considers her long association with different plays she acts in as a blessing and a truly remarkable event of her life. She says, “The relation is such that both feed each other.” And when asked which character she enjoys playing the most, the actor says, “Every role has something new and challenging and as an actor it lets us extend our boundaries. Comedy is very challenging,” says the actor who is adored for her role as the high-class fussy mom in Sarabbhai Vs Sarabhai. And which onscreen mom she relates most to, “a little in each of them.” Given a choice between theatre and movie what would it be? Ratna says “Theatre is important as it builds a close relation with the character. It opens our minds and as a theatre artiste we need to engage our audience and meet their expectations. Movies on the other hand is totally different as it gives you chances for retakes.”