'One day, they will learn that certain lines are not to be crossed when it comes to family.'
Prateik married Priya Banerjee, his girlfriend of five years, on Valentine's Day at his late mother Smita Patil's home in Bandra, northwest Mumbai.
His father Raj Babbar was not invited to the wedding.
Prateik's half brother Aarya Babbar addresses this, and seems deeply saddened by the Babbars being excluded from the wedding.
"We have always treated him like an integral part of our family," Aarya tells Subhash K Jha.
"Yes, we are brothers from different mothers but I address Prateik's mother as Smita ma. My mother (theatre and film actress Nadira Babbar) treats Prateik as one of her children. We were very hurt when we were not invited for Prateik's wedding.”
In an interview with Hindustan Times, Prateik's bride Priya Banerjee said, 'Our families were there, including my parents, his aunts who raised him, his nana-nani, and everyone who mattered and is family was with us. And there was absolutely nobody who is family who was missing.'
The statement has hurt Aarya.
"Does this mean we don't matter to Prateik?" he wonders.
"My father (Raj Babbar) is his father. For us, Prateik is as much a Babbar as a Patil. Chalo, aapne humein nahi bulaya apni shaadi mein. But why is that child (Priya) insulting us by suggesting we don't matter? It is saddening and painful because people are wondering about their behaviour, not ours."
Aarya reveals that all was gung-ho between the Babbars and Prateik until the wedding.
"We were all like one family, the Babbars and Prateik and his fiancee Priya. She was very friendly with us. We were all there at their engagement. The sudden change in their attitude happened after the engagement. We feel they are being brainwashed by someone.
"I don't want to hurt anyone or say anything to disrespect the feelings of that couple. One day, they will learn that certain lines are not to be crossed when it comes to family."
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