The strained relationship between Arya Babbar and his half-brother Prateik Smita Patil has once again come under the spotlight after a clip from Arya’s standup comedy set went viral online.In the clip, Arya refers to his genitalia as his “chota bhai” (younger brother) while discussing depression. He then quips, “And by chota bhai, I don’t mean Prateik Babbar.”As the audience laughs, Arya immediately corrects himself and says, “Prateik Smita Patil,” prompting applause. He then adds, “Kya ho raha hai Smita maa.”The actor later shared the video on social media with the caption, “No names were changed in the making of this joke,” seemingly referring to Prateik’s decision to adopt his late mother Smita Patil’s surname.
‘I realised he has changed his name’
Clarifying the context behind the remark, Arya insisted there was no intention to mock his brother.“I speak about chota bhai in terms of depression, and in the moment, I just said that chota bhai does not mean Prateik Babbar. As soon as I said it, I realised that he has changed his name and he is quite sensitive about this thing that he doesn’t want to be called Prateik Babbar. So, I just corrected myself,” Arya explained in an interview with Hindustan Times.He added, “The world knows that I don’t take Smita Maa’s name without adding maa, so I said that. For me, it was not a joke. I was just stating a fact, the audience found humour in that.”
‘Wo phone answer kar le, main baat kar lunga’
When asked whether he would like to mend fences with Prateik, Arya said he remains open to a conversation.“Wo phone answer kar le, main baat kar lunga. Usne ye medium choose kiya hai ki main apni family se seedhe nahin, media ke through baat karunga, to hamare paas bhi koi option nahin bachta,” he said. Arya also questioned the perception that his side of the family is often portrayed negatively.“What I am not okay with is that the first family of Babbar sahab cannot be the villains. Why are you being victimised and we are being called the villains. We are not saying anything to you, we are accepting and respecting you, so why are we the villains?” he asked.
