Ratna Pathak was born and raised in Mumbai. She is the daughter of veteran theatre actress, Dina Pathak. Her sister Supriya is an actress as well. She studied at the J.B Vachha High School and the National School of Drama, Delhi. Ratna worked in theatre before making her debut with the Shyam Benegal film, Mandi in 1983 for which she won critical acclaim.