I feel closer to dad now: Prateik Babbar

Prateik Babbar’s animosity with his father Raj Babbar was no secret to Bollywood. The young actor had even dropped Babbar from his name in his early years in the industry. After years of hostility, Prateik seems to have finally come to terms with his paternal side of the family.

For years the Issaq actor had resented the fact that his father did not accord his mother, the late Smita Patil, a proper place. But now, after his beloved grandmother’s death, Prateik has gravitated towards his father and his father’s family. The young actor, who is currently preparing for a second innings in Bollywood, is even seen in public with the Babbar family.

Says Prateik, “I feel very close to my dad and his family now. I think I’ve grown up, and want to accept and respect the people who matter in my life. I now realise that my dad’s family is as much mine as my mom’s family.”

Ever since Prateik lost his grandmother (his mother Smita Patil’s mother), he has been feeling bereft and lonely, he admits. “I suppose I needed time to understand the complexities of my family life, and then accept them for what they are,” says an emotional Prateik. “I have never felt more calm from within myself,” he added.