Ratna Pathak Shah on male actors romancing ‘betiyon ki umar ki ladkiyan’ onscreen: ‘It is an embarrassment’

All set for the release of her new film which features her as Biker Nani, Ratna Pathak Shah talks about the onscreen age gap between male and female actors.

Ratna Pathak Shah has said it is an embarrassment that senior male actors romance younger heroines. Speaking with India Today in an interview, the actor also recalled her husband Naseeruddin Shah's role in Vidya Balan's The Dirty Picture. ()

Ratna on senior actors romancing young heroines

Ratna Pathak Shah ccalls it an embarrassment that senior male actors romance heroines of 'their daughters' age'.

Asked about senior actors romancing younger heroines onscreen, Ratna said, "My husband (Naseeruddin Shah) was playing a senior actor in The Dirty Picture and he had a scene which required him to go running to his mom and say 'Ma, main college mein first-class first ho gaya (I topped the college exam with a first-class)'. That was supposed to be a joke in the film, but unfortunately, that is the reality."

No competition

"Unko sharam nahi aati to mai kya bolun? Betiyo ki umar ki ladkiyon se ishq ladane mein unko sharam nahi aati to mai kya bolun? (What can I say when they do not feel ashamed romancing women their daughters' age? What can I say if they are not ashamed of doing it)? It is an embarrassment." When Dia Mirza, who was also present for the interview, suggested that maybe women should also be allowed to play such parts, Ratna shrugged and added, “Uh! What is this, a competition?”

Ratna's new film

Dhak Dhak also features Sanjana Sanghi, and Fatima Sana Shaikh, apart from Ratna and Dia. The film is directed by Tarun Dudeja who has also co-written the film with Parijat Joshi. Viacom18 Studios produced it in collaboration with Taapsee Pannu and Pranjal Khandhdiya's production company Outsider Films.

Talking about the film, Ratna had told PTI about the apprehensions she had before signing it. “When I was offered this film and I had gone to a party and there I had met Arshad Warsi and he said, ‘I’ve heard that there’s somebody making a film about women bikers and they want you to play it? You are going to do it, na?’ I was like, ‘Are you crazy, me on a bike, now?’. He said, ‘They will look after you, don’t be silly, you have to do it’. He gave me so much confidence, then suddenly I felt, ‘I could possibly imagine doing this'.”