This man in photo played hero and villain at the same time, was not invited to his son’s wedding, can you recognise him?

Some rare actors have truly blurred the boundaries between hero and villain in the film industry. They understand acting so well as a craft that they can convincingly portray both sides, sometimes even in the same film. One such actor excelled at this. Whether it was playing a cruel rapist in Insaaf Ka Tarazu, a soft-hearted poet in Nikaah and Prem Geet, a vigilante in Aaj Ki Awaaz, or an evil mastermind in Aitbaar, he portrayed each role with remarkable depth. He consistently broke stereotypes with his characters.

Born in Uttar Pradesh into a Punjabi family, he completed his early education at Agra College. His love for the performing arts led him to the National School of Drama (NSD) in Delhi, from where he graduated in 1975. The actor began his career with a supporting role in the controversial film Kissa Kursi Ka in 1977, but he did not land a substantial role until 1980.

It was B.R. Chopra’s Insaaf Ka Tarazu that brought him into the spotlight, where he played the role of a rapist. The actor we are talking about is Raj Babbar. In the film, Babbar’s character committed heinous crimes against Bharti Saxena, portrayed by Zeenat Aman, and later her sister, played by Padmini Kolhapure. This negative role made him famous overnight. From that point on, there was no looking back.

In the 1980s, films like Prem Geet, Nikaah, Umrao Jaan, Aaj Ki Awaaz, and Agar Tum Na Hote established Babbar as a romantic and serious actor. His roles in films like Bodyguard, Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 2, and Bullet Raja proved that he can fit into every kind of role.

Raj Babbar’s personal life was in the news because…

Raj Babbar’s personal life was often in the spotlight, much like his films. In 1975, he married theatre artist Nadira Zaheer, with whom he has a daughter, Juhi Babbar, and a son, Arya Babbar. However, in 1982, he met actress Smita Patil on the sets of the film Bheegi Palkein, and the two began dating. Their relationship made headlines at the time, as Raj was already married.

Raj and Smita got married in 1983, and their son, Prateik Babbar (Prateik Smita Patil), was born in 1986. Unfortunately, fate had other plans—Smita Patil passed away just a few days after Prateik’s birth. Her sudden demise was a huge shock for Raj. Later, he returned to Nadira and reunited with his family.

Raj Babbar was not invited to his son Prateik’s marriage

His son Prateik recently got married, but he chose not to invite his father, Raj Babbar. He explained that the decision was made because the wedding took place at his mother, Smita Patil’s residence, and out of respect for the past complications between Nadira and Smita. However, Prateik also clarified that there is no personal animosity between him and his father.

Prateik said, “My father’s wife and my mother had some complications in the past, lots of things have been said in the press and stuff like that if you dig out 38-40 years ago. I was open to doing something with my father and his family for another function. I just thought it was unethical to have him and his family at that house when after everything had went on between them. Absolutely, it wasn’t right. The right thing to do was to what we did and then if, obviously now circumstances are different, everything is gone South and it’s extremely complicated. But it’s not for me. I’m still the same.”

He added, “It wasn’t about rejecting anyone. It was about respecting my mother and her wishes… I’m sorry my father and his wife could not be there, could not be in the house my mother bought for me to grow up and live a life as a single mother. She wanted to live in that house with me as a single mother. Bring me up. I’m sorry. That was the best decision my wife and I made. And it could have been very, very subtle scenario and everything could have been subtle. But people are impulsive, people make impulsive choices and say things out of impulse and it was just distasteful and I think that bitter taste has remained.”

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