Ratna Pathak Shah recalls visiting late-actor Satish Shah’s home; says, ‘You might find a python or a Russell’s viper lying around’

Actor Ratna Pathak Shah fondly remembered her late friend and Sarabhai vs Sarabhai co-star Satish Shah, recalling his deep love for wildlife, his many talents and the warmth he brought both on and off screen.

Speaking on Pinkvilla, the actress shared anecdotes from the time she spent with the veteran actor, who passed away in October 2025.Remembering her visits to Satish Shah’s home, Ratna said, “Satish ke ghar jaana bahut maze ka tha. Khana bhi badhiya, aur kabhi koi Python mil jaaye, kabhi koi Russell’s Viper kisi kone mein pada ho. Saap rakhta tha kabhu bahar jagah. What, huh? He was a fantastic wildlife lover and expert.

Fantastic marksman. He had a whole collection of guns.”(Translation: “Visiting Satish’s house was always great fun. The food was excellent, and you never knew what you might come across, perhaps a python or a Russell’s viper lying in some corner. He used to keep snakes around the house. He was an extraordinary wildlife enthusiast and expert, an excellent marksman, and had an entire collection of guns.”)She went on to describe the many facets of Satish Shah’s personality, saying, “He was not just a funny man.

He never was. There was great depth about him. Gaata tha beautifully, naachta tha beautiful. Itna mota tha, lekin kabhi bhi usko dekhke aisa nahi lagta tha ki yeh ungainly hai. Physically very active. Fight scenes beautiful. All kinds of things Satish was capable of doing. He was really a complete actor in many ways.

”(Translation: “He was never just a funny man. There was great depth to his personality. He sang beautifully and danced beautifully.

He was quite overweight, yet he never seemed clumsy or awkward. He was physically very active and performed fight scenes brilliantly. Satish was capable of so many things. In many ways, he was truly a complete actor.”)Ratna Pathak Shah and Satish Shah shared a close friendship spanning decades and became one of Indian television’s most loved on-screen pairs through their portrayal of Maya and Indravadan Sarabhai in the cult sitcom Sarabhai vs Sarabhai.