Naseeruddin Shah And Ratna Pathak Shah are one of the most graceful couples in Bollywood. They are opinionated and call themselves the “last of the liberals left”. The couple has been married for more than 40 years, but their love story began much before, in a setting they both love: while acting.
On the occasion of Naseeruddin Shah's 71st birthday, let's look back at how the actor fell in love with his wife and actor Ratna Pathak years ago.
First Meeting At The Rehearsals Of A Play
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Naseeruddin Shah And Ratna Pathak Shah first met in 1975 during the rehearsals of a play called ‘Sambhog Se Sanyas Tak’, which was directed by Satyadev Dubey. In an interview with The Indian Express, Ratna Pathak described her love story as the title of the play “Sambhog Se Sanyas Tak”. However she stated that it wasn’t love at first sight. In a different interview with Economics Times, she stated, "It wasn’t love at first sight or anything like that. In fact, when Dubey introduced me to him, I didn’t even get his name right. I heard it as Shivendra Sinha, a filmmaker from FTII. He looked like one of them with his long kurta, long beard.”
But a short while after that, the two began going out together. “One day we were not even friends; the next day we were going out together,” said Ratna.
Naseeruddin Shah Was Married When He Met Ratna
Due to the fact that Naseeruddin Shah was already married when he met Ratna Pathak, their union was not an easy one. Prior to this, Naseeruddin Shah was married to Purveen Murad, a Pakistani student at the same college as Naseeruddin, Aligarh Muslim University. Naseeruddin was 19 years old when he married Purveen Murad, the half-sister of the late Surekha Sikri, who was 34 then. The marriage, however, could not last for very long.
When Naseeruddin was accepted to NSD, he relocated to Delhi, and ten months later, Purveen gave birth to their daughter Heeba. The two grew apart, and eventually, Purveen and Heeba moved to London. The two were separated but not legally divorced.
The Couple Got Married In 1982
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Unaffected, the actors spent time together, went on dates, and grew fond of one another. As Naseeruddin's divorce proceedings dragged on due to alimony worries, they eventually decided to have a live-in relationship. The couple finally got hitched in 1982.
Pathak described her wedding as wonderful in an interview withETimes, saying, “Ours was probably one of few marriages that I attended, where the bride and groom both had fun. We had a ball at our wedding! We went to the beach, swam and drank wine, and had a great time. There were no rituals and no rona dhona (crying). I remember when I left my mom's place, we all were singing bidaai songs together. Naseer and I were also singing a whole lot of bidaai songs…”
Ratna Pathak’s Relationship With Heeba
After marriage, Pathak was suddenly a parent to a 13-year-old Heeba.In an interview, Ratna said, “Suddenly, I was the parent of an adolescent. But it was a smooth relationship. Even though Heeba was so young, she came with such openness. She could have held back, but she embraced our lives with such gusto.”
The couple has been married for four decades, but their love still looks fresh and vibrant. They are one of the most adorable couples in Bollywood, who are setting goals for younger generations.
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