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Mumbai, Dec 12 (IANS) Actress Ratna Pathak Shah, who is planning to do some plays with husband Naseeruddin Shah, believes just having a happy family can be a blessing for any professional.

&#39Naseer and I are looking at a couple of plays. We want to revive a Bernard Shaw play called &#39Village Wooing&#39 that we had done 20 years ago. It&#39s such a sweet play. I&#39m involved with an NGO, which works for educating children. As for acting, I&#39m open to any medium where I get a good role,&#39 Ratna told IANS in an interview.

When told that she had frittered away her chances as an actor to look after Naseer, Ratna said: &#39I never had to look after Naseer. He has a manager to do that. But, yes, I do feel people don&#39t look beyond him at me. On the other hand, if I hadn&#39t lived with and observed Naseer so closely I wouldn&#39t have been the actress that I am.&#39

Asked if she has brought stability to Naseer&#39s life, she said: &#39He&#39s a pretty stable kind of guy. Maybe I&#39ve brought some order into his life - both practical and intellectual organisation. Just having a happy family can be such a blessing for any professional.&#39

Her last screen role was as Paresh Rawal&#39s ex-girlfriend in her husband&#39s directorial debut &#39Yun Hota To Kya Hota&#39.

Ratna said: &#39Before that I worked in a film called &#39Encounter&#39. I seem to get roles only when Naseer is in the film. In &#39Yun Hota…&#39, I played a junior artist with a daughter whom she sends to America. It was an interesting part with just a handful of scenes for me, but all very well written.

&#39But the real fun part of doing this part was Paresh. He&#39s such an extremely generous actor. How many films have romantic scenes between a 40-plus couple? I&#39d love to have more such opportunities.&#39

She added: &#39If we&#39ve to mature as a cinema-making nation we need to keep our eyes open. Look at the weird wacko people we get to meet on a daily basis. Where are they on screen? In our films and on television we&#39re stuck with these ancient cardboard characters who have no bearing on real life. I&#39m affronted by the way my intelligence is challenged in our films and on television.&#39

Ratna feels concerned about the poor-quality work that Naseer often has to do on screen.

&#39There&#39re things one has to do to keep the home fires burning or just remain part of the business. Everyone does them. Now when he has nothing to lose he can afford to make statements about staying away from acting. But I think he&#39s too much of an actor to give up acting.

&#39However, he&#39s definitely bored with acting. For the last 30 years he has been constantly reciting his lines. For the last one year I haven&#39t seen him do that. I&#39m waiting for that to begin again. But his interests are certainly widening and deepening. I think he has a contribution to make as a director,&#39 she said.

Ratna herself isn&#39t tempted to direct a film. &#39Not now; probably never. Filmmaking isn&#39t just about writing a script and getting five people together. It requires ability and a skill that everyone can&#39t acquire.

&#39It took Naseer 30 years to get there. Nowadays everyone with a camera seems to be making a film. But that isn&#39t the way to go about it. Filmmaking is a medium of brevity. If you don&#39t know how to go about it, then don&#39t bother,&#39 she said.

She&#39s happy with her career on television where her comic turn on &#39Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai&#39 has won her a new fan following.

Ratna said: &#39I never trained to be a comic actress. But once I started doing comedy I found that I enjoyed it. Comedy helps me to lighten up and not take myself too seriously. It&#39s a skill that requires to be honed. I&#39ve done a handful of serials in the last five years. &#39Sarabhai Vs Sarabhai&#39 is the best.&#39