- Raj Babbar married Nadira in 1975 and had two children, Juhi and Arya
- He married Smita Patil in 1983 while still married to Nadira, as reported
- Smita Patil died in 1986 due to childbirth complications at age 31
Raj Babbar, his two marriages, and the family dynamics continue to dominate headlines.
The chatter around Raj Babbar and his affairs has defined his children Juhi's and Arya's lives for years. During a recent conversation, son Arya Babbar opened up about childhood memories of Raj Babbar falling in love with Smita Patil while married to Nadira, the reconciliation with Nadira after Smita Patil's death, and whether he was ever attracted to Rekha.
What's Wrong With That?
During a conversation with journalist Vickey Lalwani, Arya Babbar said his father had moved on in life after Smita Patil's death and had "another affair."
Taking a cue from his words, the journalist asked if he was referring to Raj Babbar's rumoured affair with Rekha.
"If you are asking me if he was attracted to Rekha — she is so beautiful, who would not be attracted? Wouldn't you feel attracted? I would feel attracted. So if he felt attracted, he felt attracted. It's human. What's wrong with that?" Arya replied.
Rekha and Raj Babbar collaborated on films like Agar Tum Na Hote, Jhoothi, Amiri Garibi, Insaaf Ki Awaaz, to name a few.
We Have Moved On
Arya emphasized that despite his father's film career and achievements, the conversation about his father's affairs refuses to die down.
"Today, I am 44 years old. This happened when I was four or five. My father accomplished a lot in life after that, and so did our family. But somehow the biggest thing that remained attached to our lives was that my father had an affair, fell in love, and gave dignity to that relationship. That became the defining issue of our lives. Aisa nahi hona chahiye. We have all moved on from it, and because we have moved on, everyone else should move on too," he said.
Arya admitted that no child likes hearing about their father having an affair, but said he has made peace with it over time.
"Which child would like hearing that their father had an affair? But it happened, and it is okay now. Papa moved on too; he had another affair," he said jokingly. "You should not carry so much emotional baggage about everything in life."
Reconciliation
Speaking about Raj Babbar eventually moving back with the family after Smita Patil's death, Arya said the reconciliation happened years later.
"It happened when Papa built a bungalow in Juhu and invited us to come live there. I was around nine or ten years old then. Smita ji had passed away much earlier, when I was about five," he recalled.
Arya also said he never blamed his father for taking time away from the family after losing Smita. "If you are deeply, emotionally and mentally invested in someone, and life plays such a cruel joke that you lose them, imagine what that person must have gone through," he said.
Smita Patil died at the age of 31 due to complications after childbirth. She had welcomed son Prateik Babbar with Raj Babbar on November 28, and died just weeks later on December 13, 1986.
Raj Babbar married Nadira in 1975. They share two children, son Arya and daughter Juhi. Raj Babbar married Smita Patil in 1983 while still married to Nadira, according to reports.
