"Naseer have always been besides me like a brother" - Supriya Pathak

Rakshabandhan has always been a festival that celebrates the bond between a brother and a sister. But what if you have a sister instead of a brother? Well, that is exactly what this supremely talented, wonderful and the most humble and kind hearted person Supriya Pathak has to say regarding how she celebrates Rakshabandhan. She has a sister Ratna Pathak Shah but her brother-in-law Naseeruddin Shah has been strongly by her side in all doings of her.

Find out from Supriyaji itself what Rakshabandhan means to her, about her brothers, fond memories and how important her family is to her. Read on to know some rarely known facts about the Pathak family!

How do you celebrate RakshaBandhan every year?

We have a cousin brother Sanjeev who is very close to both of us Ratna and me. He is my mama's son. Since so many years now, we go to our mama's house for tying rakhi. Actually, my mother used to go to my mama's place to tie him a rakhi. It was always a big function at my mama's house. It never made us feel that we do not have a brother in that sense. For us, we always had a brother who stood by us. We always celebrated Rakshabandhan with our brother Sanjeev. Ratna and I have still continued the tradition and we still go to our mama's place for Rakshabandhan.

Go on!

Normally what we do is, we go to my mama's place. My cousin brother who is like real brother by now also lives there. I have personally have grown up in my mami's house, so my brother and I were always there. I have spent my childhood there and as a child I have done everything with him. On every Rakshabandhan, we go for lunch to her house and there we tie rakhi to my brother.

I have two sons, so in the evening all their cousin sisters come home. My sister-in-laws come in the evening to tie rakhi to my husband Pankaj Kapoor. Later, all of us have dinner together and this is how we celebrate Rakshabandhan every year. But my daughter ties them rakhi in the morning itself. My both the sons make it a point that my daughter Sana ties them a rakhi before everyone else. This is approximately what is going on since so many years.

Fond memories...

Earlier it used to be such a big thing going to my mami's house. There were so many people who used to meet and now many of them have left and we are hardly few of us left. A very funny thing that I remember - Ratna had newly got married and it was her first Rakshabandhan after marriage. Our spouses normally just come along with us during such an occasion. Naseeruddin Shah was present and at that time I was not married yet. We were normally celebrating Rakshabandhan like every year. I went on to Naseer and asked him Which is your rakhi?' and he said I do not have any sister. Nobody sends me a 'rakhi.' Since he did not have anyone tying him a rakhi, I tied him a rakhi. So since that time I have been tying rakhi to Naseer.

Like I told you everyone meets at my mami's place in the morning, I tie him a rakhi there or if in case he can't make it then I go to his place and tie. Similarly, there is a very close friend of ours called Jayshree and she asked me to tie a rakhi to her husband because he did not have any sister. So that ways I have three brothers and all three of them come at my mami's place. We have some really fond memories with that house and all of us feel so connected.

How have Rakshabandhan changed from the time you were a kid and now?

I think values have changed all over but our point of celebration has always remained the same. I do not think our basic values are changing; we have just starting it treating it like a ritual now. But the base line of why we celebrate Rakshabandhan is fading. I strongly feel that Rakshabandhan is one of those celebrations which still have that value and a brother does feel for his sister and a sister does feel for her brother on that particular day. The sibling relationship is a very strong relationship which will last longer than other relationships.

Do you feel a lack of a brother in your life anytime?

Not really! I have never felt the lack of a brother but I am happy when I see my daughter with her brothers. I really like that relationship. I feel very strongly about siblings. I strongly feel that a child should have a sibling. That is something which really gives that child a sense of security; you know when you have a sibling, the sense of security that you feel, the kind of oneness and togetherness that a child feels is very important. I feel single child do miss out on that.

Any incident where Ratnaji has played a brother to you or vice-versa?

This is a very odd question because her husband is my brother (laughs). He plays a brother to me very often because I remember when I was getting married, my brother Sanjeev was supposed to do my Kanyadaan. But on the day of my marriage he got a very severe attack and couldn't come. So, Naseer did my Kanyadaan. It was a very beautiful moment for me that Ratna and Naseer did it. He played the part of a brother too. All the rituals that a brother had to do were done by Naseer. It made me feel very special. I feel a great bond and a connection with Ratna and Naseer. It is a very strong relationship as they have always been there for me and I suppose that's what family is all about. Rakshabandhan toh kamai ka din hota hai (laughs).

Any message to your brothers?

I will only like to say that please lets all be together always and what I really want them to be is happy and content in life. May Lord give them whatever they want!

Could not agree much to what this striking lady had to say! We wish all the good luck and wishes to Supriya Pathak on this Rakshabandhan.

Upasana Patel