‘One day everyone will know’: Prateik Smita Patil breaks silence on dad Raj Babbar’s absence from his wedding to Priya Banerjee

Prateik Smita Patil and his wife Priya Banerjee recently broke their silence on the trolling that followed their decision to leave Raj off the wedding guest list. Speaking in a recent interview, the couple addressed the criticism and clarified how they chose to rise above the online chatter surrounding their private life. The duo got married in a quiet ceremony on February 14, 2025, at the Mumbai residence of Prateik’s late mother, iconic actress Smita Patil.

Prateik Smita Patil and Priya talk about wedding controversy

During a chat with Miss Malini, Prateik and his wife Priya were quizzed about the buzz surrounding their wedding. Responding to the question, Prateik hinted that the situation had deeper layers to it. “People don’t know the truth. Some people from the industry know the truth, some don’t and the general public… But one day, everyone will get to learn the truth. In a story, or a book, or an interview, or a film”, Prateik, meanwhile, shared that the entire journey only brought them closer and said, “I think life has thrown a lot of tests right before we got married, just to see if we would last and we are like ninjas. I think every problem that has come our way, we have not reacted like ‘Ab kya hoga?’. We looked at each other and we got each other."

Prateik Smita Patil drops Raj Babbar’s surname to honour his mother

In the midst of all the controversy, Prateik made a significant personal decision, he chose to drop his father Raj Babbar’s surname and adopt his mother’s name instead. He will now be known as Prateik Smita Patil, a move he says is his way of paying tribute to her. In an interview with us (The Times of India), he expressed, “I need to be wholly and solely associated with my mother (Smita Patil), 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."

Prateik Smita Patil’s family story and legacy

Born to actors Raj Babbar and the late Smita Patil, Prateik Babbar comes from a family deeply rooted in Indian cinema. Raj and Smita’s love story began on the sets of the 1982 film ‘Bheegi Palkein’. At the time, Raj was still married to Nadira Babbar but eventually chose to be with Smita. Sadly, their story took a heartbreaking turn when Smita passed away at just 31, following complications during childbirth soon after welcoming Prateik in November 1986. After Smita’s passing, Raj reunited with his first wife, Nadira, and the couple went on to have two children, Aarya and Juhi Babbar. Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”