Raj Babbar is one of the most sought-after actors of the 70s. He began his acting career in 1977 with the film, Kissa Kursi Ka. An alumnus of NSD, Raj stunned everyone with his acting prowess in Insaaf Ka Taraazu, where he played the role of an antagonist. His performances in Nikaah and Aaj Ki Awaz were highly appreciated.
Born in Uttar Pradesh, Raj Babbar graduated from Agra College. He trained at the Method school of acting at NSD and moved to Mumbai to start a career in films. Apart from Hindi films, Raj also attained success in Punjabi cinema. Not just on the silver screen, Raj Babbar acted on television too in leading shows.
Though Raj Babbar made his presence felt with his acting prowess, his personal life was marred by controversies. The actor was first married to Nadira Zaheer, but later fell in love with Smita Patil. His marriage to Smita brought him a lot of hatred, more so because he also had two kids, Juhi Babbar and Arya Babbar, with Nadira. However, his love for Smita couldn’t see a happy ending.
Raj Babbar was smitten by Smita Patil from the first meeting
Even though Raj Babbar and Smita Patil’s first film was in 1980, the two first met on the sets of Bheegi Palkein. In an interview later, Raj opened up about his first meeting with Smita and said:
“I met her for the first time in Rourkela in Orissa, where we had gone to shoot Satish Misra’s film Bheegi Palken. Our first meeting ended in a sort of clash – a sweet clash that laid the foundation of a relationship later. I was impressed by her from the word go”.
Raj Babbar revealed that his relationship with Nadira was never the reason behind his affair with Smita Patil
Smita Patil’s beauty and intelligence impressed Raj Babbar, and he couldn’t resist falling in love with her. She also found solace in his arms despite knowing that he was already married. The two had defied all societal norms and had started living together. In an interview with The Times of India, Raj talked about falling for Smita despite being married and said:
“Smita entered my life unexpectedly. When I met Smita Patil for the first time, I realised there was depth to her character. She was generally very friendly and sought my advice once in a while. Gradually, we formed an intimate bond. My relationship with Smita was not the result of problems with Nadira – it just happened. Nadira was mature enough to understand my feelings. Juhi always loved being with Smita.”
Raj Babbar recalled Smita Patil’s last moments
In 1983, Raj Babbar got married to Smita Patil, and their only child, their son, Prateik Babbar, was born in 1986. On December 13, 1986, 15 days after giving birth to her son, Prateik Babbar, the gorgeous Smita had left for the heavenly abode due to some childbirth complications at the mere age of 31. Her untimely demise had left everyone shocked.
Somewhere in her heart, Smita Patil sympathised with Nadira and also acknowledged her pain, but also clung to her reality. She, too, desired love and to be loved, but her relationship with Raj was filled with insecurity and loneliness. In an interview with Reddif, Raj recalled Smita’s last moments and said:
“Thoughout 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.”
After Smita Patil’s demise, Raj Babbar went back to Nadira, and she accepted him back into her life.
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