On Raj Babbar's 72nd Birthday, A Look At Lesser-known Facts About Actor

Raj Babbar's second wife Smita Patil died in 1986.

Actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar celebrated his 72nd birthday on June 23. The actor was known as both the hero and villain in the 80s. He wanted to become an actor since childhood. He was interested in acting, so in 1975 he enrolled at the National School of Drama (NSD) in Delhi. As soon as he completed his acting course, he started working on other films. He has worked in more than 1,560 films in Bollywood. His first film was Kissa Kursi Ka, which was released in 1977.

The actor got his real identity from the film Insaaf Ka Tarazu, where he played a negative role. As soon as this film was released, Raj Babbar became director BR Chopra’s favourite hero. In the 80s, Raj Babbar was such an actor who could easily fit into all roles from villain to hero.

He is famous for films like Prem Geet, Umrao Jaan, Nikaah, Agar Tum Na Hote, Majdoor, Mehndi, Aaj Ki Awaaz, Haqiqat, Sau Din Saas Ke, Salma, Corporate, Bodyguard, Karz, Fashion, Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster 2, Bullet Raja and Tevar.

Like his films, Raj Babbar’s personal life has also been in the headlines. He was married twice to Nadira Babbar and Smita Patil. It is said that despite being already married to Nadira in 1975 and the father of two children, Raj had an extramarital affair. He was so much in love with the actress Smita Patil, that he ignored everyone and started living a live-in relationship with her. Raj Babbar was criticised a lot for this, but he never cared about it.

According to reports, the actor’s steps went astray during the 80s. His stardom was at its peak during this time. It was the year 1984 when Raj Babbar and Smita Patil met for the first time. Raj and Smita became close during the film Aaj Ki Awaaz released in the same year.

According to the Hindu religion, a second marriage is not allowed while the first wife is alive. But, Raj Babbar left his first wife Nadira and his two children and married Smita Patil without divorcing his first wife. A few years after their marriage, their son Prateek Babbar was born. Smita Patil died on December 13, 1986, just two weeks after giving birth to their son. After Smita’s death, the actor returned to his first wife, Nadira. Nadira and Raj Babbar have children Juhi and Arya.

Earlier in an interview with The Times of India, the actor 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.”