Actor Raj Babbar was already a married man and father of two when he began a relationship with popular actor Smita Patil. The relationship, and the marriage that followed, sparked major controversy in the 1980s. For Raj’s children—especially his daughter Juhi Babbar—the news was something she came to understand at a very young age. Years later, Juhi opened up about that time in her life and how she first found out about her father’s new relationship when she was just 7 years old.‘Smita ji went out of her way for us’In a past chat with Lehren Retro, Juhi shared that her father explained his new marriage to her when she was still a child. She said this changed the way she looked at Smita Patil, giving her a different kind of memory from what most people knew.“My father talked and explained his marriage with Smita Patil to me when I was barely seven years old, and that’s why my memories of Smita ji are very different. She went out of her way to do things for me. I think she also had this thing that we are the kids of the person who is most special to her, and so we are special to her as well. She would show us a lot of love, always bringing us gifts when she travelled, and she would ensure that at home, we were served the food that we liked. These small memories are nice, but unfortunately, there aren’t many memories,” she said.Torn feelingsWhile Smita was always kind to her and her brother Arya, Juhi said she was still aware of how this new marriage had changed everything for her family. She could feel that things were no longer the same, especially for her mother, Nadira Babbar. She added, “As a child, I knew this is the lady my father wants to be with, and he wants to make her his wife. I could see Smita making an effort towards me and my little brother, but I also knew that this was disturbing the unit that used to be, and that my mother was unhappy about it. I had that understanding—that aunty (Smita) was being so good to me, but when I go home, I shouldn’t share this with my mother.”Raj and Smita’s love storyRaj Babbar and Smita Patil reportedly first met on the sets of their 1982 film ‘Bheegi Palkein’. Their on-screen partnership turned into a real-life love story. In 1983, Raj left Nadira and married Smita.In November 1986, the couple welcomed their son, actor Prateik Babbar. Sadly, just days after giving birth, Smita Patil passed away due to complications. She was only 31 years old at the time. Later, Raj reunited with his first wife, Nadira, and they rebuilt their family life together.
