Raj Babbar known for movies like ‘Insaaf Ka Taraazu’, ‘Nikaah’ and ‘Aaj Ki Awaz’ among others was married to Nadira Zaheer, with whom he had two children, Juhi Babbar and Arya Babbar, when he fell in love with Smita Patil. Their relationship and subsequent marriage sparked considerable controversy, as Raj chose to be with Smita despite already having a family. However, their love story was cut short by her untimely death.Although Raj and Smita’s first film together was in 1980, their paths crossed on the sets of ‘Bheegi Palken’. In an interview, Raj recalled meeting the actress in Rourkela, Odisha, and described how their first interaction left a lasting impression on him. He had 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”.Smita’s beauty, intelligence and personality drew Raj towards her, and their professional association gradually developed into a romantic relationship. Despite knowing that he was already married, Smita grew close to the actor, and the two eventually began living together.In an earlier interview with The Times of India, Raj spoke about how their relationship developed, maintaining that his feelings for Smita were not an outcome of difficulties in his marriage to Nadira.“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 and Smita got married in 1983, and the couple welcomed their son, Prateik Babbar, in 1986. However, their happiness was short-lived. On December 13, 1986, just 15 days after giving birth to Prateik, Smita passed away at the age of 31 due to complications following childbirth. Her sudden demise left her family, friends and the film industry in shock.While Smita’s relationship with Raj brought her the companionship she desired, it was also marked by emotional complexities. She was aware of Nadira’s position and the pain the circumstances could cause, even as she pursued her own relationship with Raj.Years later, Raj spoke about Smita’s final moments in an interview with Rediff, recalling the distressing journey to the hospital and the moment he realised how serious her condition had become.“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.”
