Aarya on Raj Babbar moving out of the houseRecalling that phase, Aarya said Raj Babbar had moved out of the family home and lived with Smita Patil for some time.
Why he calls Smita Patil ‘maa’Aarya also revealed when he began referring to Smita Patil as “maa”.
That was the day I decided I would call Smita maa, maa.”Story continues below this adAarya on Raj Babbar moving back with familySpeaking about Raj Babbar eventually moving back with the family after Smita Patil’s death, Aarya said the reconciliation happened years later.
She had welcomed son Prateik Babbar with Raj Babbar on November 28, and passed away just weeks later on December 13, 1986.
Raj Babbar on Smita Patil’s final momentsIn an earlier conversation with Rediff.com, Raj had recalled the final moments they shared together.
Actor Aarya Babbar has opened up about his father Raj Babbar’s relationship with late actor Smita Patil, saying that while it may have once been painful for the family, everyone involved has long moved on. Raj was married to theatre veteran Nadira Babbar when he fell in love with Smita Patil. Raj and Nadira had two children, Aarya and Juhi. Raj later married Smita, and the couple welcomed son Prateik Babbar. Smita died shortly after childbirth in 1986. Raj later reconciled with Nadira.
In a conversation with journalist Vickey Lalwani, Aarya spoke about growing up amid the fallout of Raj and Smita’s relationship.
“I was only three or four years old then, so I do not remember what exactly was happening at home when Smita maa came into my father’s life,” Aarya said. “People often ask me how I feel about it, but there is not much to say now. Even today, everyone is still carrying those emotions.”
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‘We have all moved on from it’
He added that despite everything his family achieved over the years, the conversation around Raj Babbar’s affair continued to dominate public memory.
“Today, I am 44 years old. This happened when I was four or five. My father accomplished a lot in life after that, and so did our family. But somehow, the biggest thing that remained attached to our lives was that my father had an affair, fell in love, and gave dignity to that relationship. That became the defining issue of our lives. Aisa nahi hona chahiye. We have all moved on from it, and because we have moved on, everyone else should move on too,” he said.
Aarya admitted that no child likes hearing about their father having an affair, but said he has made peace with it over time.
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“Which child would like hearing that their father had an affair? But it happened, and it is okay now. Papa moved on too, he had another affair,” he said jokingly. “You should not carry so much emotional baggage about everything in life.”
Later in the interview, when he was asked about Raj’s alleged affair with Rekha, Aarya carefully answered, “If you are asking me if he was attracted towards Rekha, she is so beautiful, who will not get attracted? Won’t you feel attracted? I would feel attracted. So if he felt attracted, he felt attracted. It’s human. What’s wrong in that?
Aarya on Raj Babbar moving out of the house
Recalling that phase, Aarya said Raj Babbar had moved out of the family home and lived with Smita Patil for some time.
“He had moved out of the house and was staying with Smita maa. In fact, he bought the Rock Cliff house, where Prateik lives now,” he shared.
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When asked if Raj Babbar had ever legally separated from Nadira Babbar, Aarya chose not to comment in detail out of respect for Prateik and Smita Patil.
“I have never had that conversation with him, and out of respect for my younger brother, I would not want to talk about it because I am talking about someone’s mother. I call her Smita maa. If I am calling her ‘maa’, then I give her that respect because my father gave her that love and respect. And I will always give Smita maa that same respect and love,” he said.
Why he calls Smita Patil ‘maa’
Aarya also revealed when he began referring to Smita Patil as “maa”.
“When Prateik and I were both in our twenties, I noticed that he called my mother ‘maa’. I felt that if my younger brother could give my mother that respect, then as his elder brother, I should also give his mother the same respect. That was the day I decided I would call Smita maa, maa.”
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Aarya on Raj Babbar moving back with family
Speaking about Raj Babbar eventually moving back with the family after Smita Patil’s death, Aarya said the reconciliation happened years later.
“It happened when Papa built a bungalow in Juhu and invited us to come live there. I was around nine or ten years old then. Smita ji had passed away much earlier, when I was about five,” he recalled.
Aarya also said he never blamed his father for taking time away from the family after losing Smita. “If you are deeply, emotionally and mentally invested in someone, and life plays such a cruel joke that you lose them, imagine what that person must have gone through,” he said.
“He probably needed time alone to understand himself and think about his life. He stayed alone during that period. We lived only five minutes away. He had made a place for himself in his office and stayed there for a few years. He kept visiting us and staying with us too.”
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Smita Patil died at the age of 31 due to complications after childbirth. She had welcomed son Prateik Babbar with Raj Babbar on November 28, and passed away just weeks later on December 13, 1986.
Raj Babbar on Smita Patil’s final moments
In an earlier conversation with Rediff.com, Raj had recalled the final moments they shared together.
“Throughout the journey from home to hospital, she kept apologising and I told her that everything would be okay. She looked at me with tears in her eyes. Her look said it all. The doctor came out after an hour and said she had gone into a coma.”
He further said, “I was part of her and she was part of me. It is natural that you miss a person who was your heart and soul throughout your life, no matter how brave you may say you are. She and her memories will continue to be part of me till my last day.”
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This article reflects on past family dynamics, emotional reconciliation, and personal grief surrounding a historical family event and the loss of a loved one. It is shared for informational and entertainment purposes, capturing personal perspectives rather than serving as a commentary on contemporary relationships or health matters.
