Smita Patil’s last days were lonely, says friend: ‘She was obsessed with Raj Babbar, loved ones distanced themselves’

The night Smita died

In a conversation with ETimes, Smita recalled the hours leading up to Smita’s passing, Raje shared how she rushed to Jaslok Hospital after learning about her critical condition. Living nearby, she reached quickly, but what she saw stayed with her forever.

“I saw Smita in a condition that I cannot describe. I knew she had left us forever and nothing would bring her back. Maa was broken, but she had to compose herself for the sake of the newborn Prateik,” she told ETimes.

After Smita’s passing, her mother handed over a set of personal letters and notes to Raje. Going through them, the filmmaker discovered a deeply emotional side of the actor, one that had largely remained private.

Smita Patil’s letters

According to Raje, these writings showed how intensely Smita felt for Raj Babbar, far beyond what was visible publicly.

“She was madly in love with Raj, almost to the point of obsession. She had even observed the Karwa Chauth vrat for Raj, even though she was seven months pregnant and had been advised against it,” Raje recalled.

Raje also spoke about how that relationship gradually led to isolation. While Smita chose her path, it distanced her from many around her.

“She was also very, very alone. I was the only one who remained in touch with her, as her friends and family had distanced themselves. I became her sounding board, and she would share the bitter, difficult parts of her life with me,” she said.

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Raj Babbar on her final moments

In an earlier conversation with Rediff.com, Raj Babbar had also opened up about the last moments they shared.

“Throughout 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.”

He added, “I was part of her and she was part of me. It is natural that you miss a person who was your heart and soul throughout your life, no matter how brave you may say you are. She and her memories will continue to be part of me till my last day.”

A final wish fulfilled

Makeup artist Deepak Sawant, who worked closely with several Bollywood stars including Amitabh Bachchan, had also shared a memory of Smita’s last wish.

Speaking on the YouTube channel Reel Meets Real, he recalled, “Smita Patil used to say mujhe suhagan banake leke jana (I should die a married woman.) I used to scold her to not say things like this. She used to say this even to her mother who would also scold her.”

He described the emotional moment when he was asked to do her final makeup. He added, “Her mother gave me a make-up kit and Amitabh Bachchan and other people were sitting there. She gave me the make-up kit in front of them and told me that it was her wish to go as a suhagan. I started crying and I did her make up while I was tearing up. I did her last make-up and I made her look very beautiful on her last day.”

At the time of their relationship, Raj Babbar was already married to Nadira. He and Smita went on to marry and soon welcomed their son Prateik. However, she died shortly after. Following Smita’s death, Raj later reconciled with Nadira.