Prateik Smita Patil On Dropping 'Babbar' And Excluding Raj Babbar From Wedding: ‘I Want to Be Like My Mother, Not My Dad’

Prateik Smita Patil and Priya Banerjee’s wedding may have been a dreamy affair, but it wasn’t without controversy. The actor chose not to invite his father, veteran actor Raj Babbar.

Prateik Smita Patil has spoken on why he dropped ‘Babbar’ from his name and distanced himself from that chapter of his life. 

Source : Instagram/@priyabanerjee

Prateik Smita Patil and Priya Banerjee’s wedding may have been a dreamy affair, but it wasn’t without controversy. The actor chose not to invite his father, veteran actor Raj Babbar, or the Babbar family to his intimate wedding ceremony on Valentine’s Day. The decision sparked public discussion, with his stepbrother Aarya Babbar and stepsister Juhi commenting on the matter. Now, Prateik has spoken on why he dropped ‘Babbar’ from his name and distanced himself from that chapter of his life. 

Prateik and Priya on controversy around wedding

In a conversation with Times Of India, when asked about the same, the couple remained unfazed by the chatter surrounding their marriage. Priya said, “We were unfazed. It was all noise. My mom and dad were here all the way from Canada. I had my closest friends. He had his aunts, who raised him apart from his grandparents. Everybody we loved was there. So whatever happened, we honestly don’t have any comments because it didn't matter.” 

Prateik, on the other hand, labeled the controversy “unnecessary.” Priya added, “It could have ruined the rest of our life. It had potential. But I feel like we've been protected. We have guardian angels around us. We were so into the wedding, the marriage, and each other, that we didn’t care about anything else.” 

Why Raj Babbar was not invited to the wedding?

With rumours swirling about the Babbar family's absence, the couple refused to be drawn into discussions about their reasons for not inviting them.  

Priya told Times Of India, “We don't want to talk about it. And it's not our place. It's all online. Let people go back in the past and read some articles perhaps from back in the day and find out what went down in anybody's life before passing a reckless comment which can affect somebody's special day. Nobody has any right to say anything about it. If Prateik chooses to stay quiet, if I choose to stay quiet, that is actually out of respect and dignity. That’s it.” 

"Raj Babbar was never there"

Addressing whether this would change Prateik’s equation with the Babbar family, Priya was direct: “There is nothing to change. There was never anything there. So, I'm confused when people comment, ‘You did this to somebody.’ But no, that family was never there, that person (hinting at Raj Babbar) was never there in his life. So, I'm not sure why that question is coming up now, 30 years later.” 

Prateik has hinted at wanting to mend relationships with his family in the past, but now he chooses to remain tight-lipped. “When the time is right, I will chat about this. Let’s just leave it the way it is for now. It’s a bit complicated,” he admitted. 

Priya reinforced his stance, saying, “It's too much… and not just an interview. This is not something you can just ask and somebody can explain. It is somebody's life we're talking about. Somebody went through something for 30 years. Not a lot of people would understand what a kid goes through when they lose their mom at first, right? That’s the question I would like to ask everybody who's trolling and asking questions. Did you lose your mom when you were two weeks old? And if you didn’t, I don’t think you have any right to comment here.” 

Prateik on talking about it when time is right

Prateik added, "It's extremely complicated for the time being and as Priya mentioned, when I am ready to talk about things that I haven't before and that need to be spoken about, it will clear the air, not just for me, but for everybody, even that family." 

Their wedding also saw allegations against Priya, with some—including Prateik’s stepbrother Aarya—implying she was the reason behind the Babbar family’s absence. While Priya was unbothered, Prateik was deeply affected. “It did bother me. It was really riling me up, as people are pointing fingers at her, saying she’s the reason,” he said. 

On dropping "Babbar" from his name

One of the biggest revelations from the interview was Prateik’s conscious decision to drop ‘Babbar’ from his name, rebranding himself as Prateik Smita Patil.  

Talking about the decision, he told Times Of India, “I don’t care about the repercussions. All I care about is the way I feel when I hear that name. I need to be wholly and solely associated with my mother, her name, and her legacy. I don't think any other name needs to taint that legacy, if you understand what I mean. It needs to just be her name and her legacy. That’s what I’m striving to be. I’m striving to be like my mother and not like my dad. It feels like a new chapter.”