Arya Babbar on dad Raj Babbar’s second marriage with Smita Patil, how he has ‘grown up’ from it: ‘My mom won’t be too happy but…’ | Bollywood News

Veteran actor Raj Babbar turns 73 today on June 23. He has three kids who are all actors — Juhi Babbar and Arya Babbar from his first marriage with fellow actor Nadira Babbar — and Prateik Babbar from his second marriage with late actor Smita Patil. On his father’s 73rd birthday, Raj’s elder son Arya Babbar opens up on his father getting married for the second time.
“It’s a part of our life, and that’s how we look at it. I think all of us, especially me, have grown up from that entire thing. It was long back, and today, we look at the positives of it, and that’s it,” said Arya, adding, “My mother won’t be too happy hearing this, but I think I’m the closest to my father.”
In the interview with the Times of India, Arya further said he was very influenced when it comes to his father because of the kind of responsibility and respect and dignity he’s kept for himself over the years. He claimed that he looks at his father more like a “buddy” today than as his dad.
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He called Raj Babbar a friend, a confidant and someone who he can rely on, someone who he can joke with, and someone he can talk creatively with. He said that he can blindly trust him for anything, and knows his father will always stand him. He called his dad ‘the most important person’ for him.
Arya recently expressed his reservations with his stepbrother Prateik, who’s now named himself Prateik Smita Patil, adding his late mother’s name to his, instead of his estranged father’s family name. Prateik chose not to invite Raj Babbar or either of his stepsiblings at his recent wedding ceremony with actor Priya Banerjee.

“Not inviting other members of our family, my mother, my ser or me could be condonable: maybe we have failed him as a family, although we have never treated him as a stepbrother. Lekin chalo, shaayad humse koi bhool ho gayi ho (Perhaps, we made a make),” Arya had said, but asked why Prateik hasn’t even invited their father to the wedding.
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“Not inviting our papa, his papa… how can he do this? Papa is very very hurt. doing this, Prateik has hurt his mother, the great Smita Patil ji as well,” said Arya, adding, “If he stops to think for a moment, he would know that his mother, whom he respects and loves so much, must be very hurt. Would she want this?” Smita died while giving birth to Prateik in 1986.