There are few TV characters as iconic as Maya Sarabhai — the stylish, sharp-tongued matriarch from the beloved sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai. Brought to life by Ratna Pathak Shah with her unmatched comic flair, Maya has long been etched in pop culture for her disdain for all things “middle class” and her frequent digs at her cheerful, budget-conscious daughter-in-law Monisha.
In a recent interview, Ratna was once again asked a question she’s heard countless times — how much of Maya lives in her real life? This time, the veteran actor didn’t hold back. “Oh, no, a lot of me has gotten into her. I’m Maya Sarabhai, and very happily so,” she said, owning the character with pride. While she credited writer-director Aatish Kapadia for Maya’s sharp lines, Ratna admitted that the character echoes her own thoughts more often than people might assume.
She even shared an example from her everyday experiences — on flights. “The entire plane gets up and starts taking out their bags… I really feel like saying, ‘This plane ain’t going to run away, sweetie. Stop being so middle class!’” she quipped, clearly channelling her inner Maya.
Looking back at her time on the show, Ratna called it one of the most cherished phases of her life. “It was the best time of my life. I got to say the best lines, the wittiest lines — and got paid for it,” she said. No wonder Maya Sarabhai continues to hold a special place in the hearts of fans, even two decades after the show first aired.
A few years ago, nostalgia hit full swing as the original cast — including Satish Shah, Sumeet Raghavan, Rajesh Kumar, and Aatish Kapadia — reunited, with Ratna joining them to celebrate the magic they created. And clearly, Maya never really left her side.