Prateik Babbar avoids paparazzi question on surname change; angry stepbrother Aarya Babbar reacts

Late actor Smita Patil and Raj Babbar's son, Prateik Babbar, tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend, Priya Banerjee, in an intimate ceremony at Smita Patil's home on February 14, 2025.

The wedding was attended by the couple's close friends and family. However, Prateik Babbar reportedly did not invite his father, Raj Babbar, or his stepbrother, Aarya Babbar.

The absence of the Babbar family from Prateik's wedding sparked rumors of a possible rift between actor-politician Raj Babbar and his son, actor Prateik Babbar. Amid this ongoing family feud, the situation took another turn when Prateik decided to change his name—adopting his late mother Smita Patil's surname and dropping his father's. This decision fueled further speculation and added to the controversy.

Prateik Babbar's surname change 

Prateik Babbar officially dropped his father Raj Babbar's surname and adopted his late mother Smita Patil's name instead.

In an interview with Filmfare, Prateik Smita Patil justified his decision, saying, "Yes, absolutely. Prateik Smita Patil is a powerful name, and Smita Patil has a powerful legacy. I am merely embracing her power. I am the son of the late, great legend Smita Patil."

Speaking to Times of India, he elaborated, "I'm just thinking about what makes me and my soul feel better, what makes my heart smile—not about whether it will negatively affect my career. I don't care about the repercussions. All I care about is the way I feel when I hear that name."

He further added, "I don't care about the repercussions."

Addressing the family feud and the absence of Raj Babbar and his children from the wedding, Priya Banerjee spoke candidly to Times of India, and stated, "There is nothing to change. There was never anything there. So, I'm confused when people comment, 'You did this to somebody.' But no, that family was never there. That person (hinting at Raj Babbar) was never there in his life. So, I'm not sure why that question is coming up now, 30 years later."

From Babbar to Smita Patil: Prateik Babbar Dodges Paparazzi's Questions; Aarya Babbar Reacts

Amid the chaos, Prateik Babbar was spotted in the city, where paparazzi questioned him about dropping his father's surname and adopting his late mother, actor Smita Patil's, name.

The actor skillfully dodged the question, simply greeting the paparazzi with folded hands before leaving without saying a word.

Stepbrother Aarya Babbar reacts to Prateik's name-change 

Reacting to Prateik's name-change, his brother Aarya Babbar told Hindustan Times, "I just have to say that Smita ma is our mother too. And what name he doesn't want to keep and what name he wants to keep is his choice."

"Kal ko main uthke apna naam Aarya Babbar se Aarya karlun, ya Rajesh kar lun. Main tab bhi Babbar hi rahunga na (Tomorrow, if I wake up and change my name from Aarya Babbar to just Aarya, or even Rajesh, I'll still be a Babbar, won't I?)," he said.

Aarya went on to add, "Aap apna name change kar sakte ho, wajood nahi (You can change your name, but you can't change your identity). Rahunga toh Babbar hi becasue wajood mera woh hi hai, aap woh kaise change kar sakte ho (I'll remain a Babbar because my existence is rooted in that; how can you change that?)"

However, on Instagram, the actor has yet to update his name, which still appears as Prateik Patil Babbar.