Prateik Smita Patil, son of the late actress Smita Patil and actor-politician Raj Babbar, recently revealed that he discovered Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar wanted to adopt him after his mother's death. In an interview, Prateik shared his surprise at learning this information, noting the implications it would have had on his life.
Smita Patil passed away in 1986 shortly after Prateik's birth due to childbirth-related complications. At the time, Raj Babbar was still married to his first wife, Nadira Babbar, but had married Smita. Following Smita's death, Prateik was raised by his maternal grandparents. Prateik mentioned that he has come to learn many things about his early life as time has passed.
Prateik expressed that discovering Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar had considered adopting him was overwhelming. He reflected on the alternate reality where he might have grown up as Farhan Akhtar's stepbrother. He stated, "I recently found out Shabana ji and Javed sahab wanted to adopt me after my mother passed away. It was kind of complicated. I could've been Farhan's stepbrother. I find these new things about me all the time. Aur kya hai, batao (What else is there, tell me). It's also very overwhelming. Ye hota toh main pata nahi kaisi zindagi jee raha hota (If this had happened, I don't know what kind of life I'd be leading now)".
He also spoke about the custody battle that occurred after his mother’s death. "There are many things I hear about myself as a child. There was a custody fight for me in my childhood. I was so little, just crying, I had no idea what was happening to me. People wanted to adopt me," Prateik stated.
Prateik has been open about the impact of his mother's death and the challenges he faced growing up. In a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble, Prateik discussed his relationships with his parents, his struggles with drug abuse, and his journey toward giving himself a second chance. He admitted to harboring resentment towards his parents due to their unavailability during his childhood and the different treatment he received because of his parents' fame. He also touched upon his past struggles with addiction, being in rehab at 18, and navigating rumors about his sexuality.
Prateik also discussed his decision to use his mother's surname, "Patil". He explained that initially, he was bitter towards both of his parents and briefly went by just "Prateik" in his films. However, he eventually embraced his mother's name, acknowledging the importance of honoring her and feeling complete by carrying her identity. He stated, "I had to embrace that name, it makes me complete. Now, I am complete, I feel complete".
Smita Patil and Shabana Azmi were contemporaries and shared a complex relationship. While there was a sense of rivalry between them, there was also mutual respect and admiration. Shabana Azmi took Prateik under her wing to rework his career. Prateik has expressed gratitude for his mother's colleagues who have supported him throughout his life.
