Actor Ratna Pathak Shah has discussed how India is transforming into an "extremely conservative society" and questioned whether or not we want to be like Saudi Arabia. Ratna stated in a recent interview that a conservative society places restrictions on its women. She added that because India is "very very convenient," it could end up being like Saudi Arabia.
Ratna discussed how women in the twenty-first century continue to practise antiquated customs like Karwa Chauth. A woman fasts and prays for her husband's long life as part of a Hindu tradition. She added that last year was the first time anyone had asked her whether she would fast for her spouse.
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Speaking with Pinkvilla, Ratna said, "Nothing has changed for women, or very little has changed in very crucial areas...Our society is becoming extremely conservative. We're becoming superstitious, we're being forced into accepting and making religion a very important part of one's life. Someone asked me for the first time last year if I'm keeping 'karwa chauth ka vrat (observing karwa chauth)'. I said, 'Am I mad?' Isn't it appalling that modern educated women do karwa chauth, praying for the lives of husbands so that they can have some validity in life? Widow in the Indian context is a horrible situation, isn't it? So anything that keeps me away from widowhood. Really? In the 21st century, we are talking like this? Educated women are doing this."
She also said, "We are moving towards an extremely conservative society. The first thing a conservative society does is clamp down on its women. Look at all the conservative societies in this world. Women are the ones who are most affected. What's the scope of women in Saudi Arabia? Do we want to become like Saudi Arabia? And we will become because it's very very convenient. Women provide a lot of unpaid labour within the home. If you have to pay for that labour, who will do it? Women are forced into that situation."
