Showing posts with label Sanya Sagar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sanya Sagar. Show all posts
Prateik Babbar opens up on losing Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, his marriage ending and finding love in Priya Banerjee
3:54 PM
Vinay MR Mishra (BOMBAY TIMES; December 14, 2023)
Nestled in the bustling Carter Road of Bandra, Mumbai, actor Prateik Babbar’s sea-facing abode is a gift to him by his mother, actress Smita Patil. Prateik grew in the very house with his maternal grandparents. “It was very different then,” the actor states, revealing that he redesigned the place all by himself. “Not many know but I like to design interiors. I love visual aesthetics,” he mentions.
As Prateik sits down, basking in the gentle lull of the Arabian sea’s whispers, he peels back the layers of his life. He ventures into his formative years, tainted by the shadows of addiction, to his tumultuous journey through matrimony and the newfound love. Excerpts of the interview as followed:
'It was hard growing up'
“I was a very happy kid but a big brat. I could never see a straight face in a picture. My nani would always say, ‘Vakda tond nako karu’. But it was also hard growing up, trying to understand where my parents are? But I had a lot of fun with my grandmother. She spoiled me. I remember she would wake up every morning by calling me Chew – it means sparrow. I was her sparrow,”
Prateik reminisces. The actor was quite close to his grandmother. Her demise was the “most difficult time” in his life. “I knew everything will change once she was done. And it did for the better. It was an overnight decision for me to not be slave to drugs and alcohol,” he states.
'I do think that life has been extremely unfair to me'
Prateik has been vocal about his tryst with substance abuse. “Addiction is a disease. I almost lost myself,” he says. At the age of 18, Prateik was "tricked" by his family to a rehabilitation center. "I was obnoxious, nobody could talk to me. I was always intoxicated. So, they had to trick me to get into rehab. And rehab was difficult. I remember waking up in a rehab in a bed, in a straitjacket. I was just screaming, crying. I was 18 and it scared me. It was dark, I was suicidal. I wanted to be with my grandmother. ‘I just want to be with you maa,’ is all I would cry. It was painful,” Prateik shares.
The second time drugs re-entered Prateik’s life was when he was 25, fresh off the debacle of his film
Ekk Deewana Tha and nursing a heartbreak with actress Amy Jackson. “Back then I was straight out of a heartbreak. That was a widely reported relationship so it was terrible. There was an avalanche of emotions. I was feeling life was unfair to me. Even today, I do think that life has been extremely unfair to me. It took away the most precious emotion a child can have,” he recalls.
'Still disappointed that I lost Bhaag Milkha Bhaag'
During his second row with alcohol and drugs Prateik recalls on losing out on several projects: “I felt like the industry was being unfair to me. When I slipped back to self-destruction the films were getting shelved as I was too drugged up to say my dialogues or show up on set. Then I had a slump in my career. Everything was just so fast, I didn’t understand. It was overwhelming for me. Everything, the politics, the vices, and then I crashed, everything came crumbling down.”
However, for Prateik the most disappointing loss was two years before him slipping into drugs. “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag,” he names, adding, “I was locked to play the role of Milkha. I remember Ranveer Singh walked out of the audition room, and I walked in. They just stopped the audition as they found what they were looking for. I started readings with Prasoon Joshi. I was shooting in Udaipur for Aarakshan
and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, came to see me. When it came to locking the commercials, my then manager told me they would handle it. I was 23-year-old, I didn’t know what to talk about money. But my agency ghosted them. Three weeks later I found out Farhan Akhtar was doing it. I am still disappointed."
‘I was an absolute mess for a long time after my marriage ended’
Prateik married Sanya Sagar in 2019, however, soon the two decided to split. Prateik has never opened up about what went wrong in that marriage. He, however, shares, “We were in love. That’s why we married. I want to give that relationship all the respect that it deserved. We were two different people. We didn’t have time to figure each other out. And I think it is extremely important to figure each other out before you jump into a marriage or something concrete. It (The marriage) was rushed. There was some family pressure. I was 32, and I wanted to have kids by 35.” Prateik and Sanya’s divorce came through on January 31 earlier this year.
Calling the divorce “complicated”, Prateik adds, “It was heartbreaking. I was an absolute mess for a really long time. I got married for all the wrong reasons. We thought we would figure out love and compatibility on our way. (But) It doesn’t work like that. You need to figure out everything before. Emotional frustrations led to bad choices and decisions. I felt betrayed in my marriage. But (in retrospect) if that marriage had not failed, I wouldn’t have met the woman in my life today.”
'I am so blessed to have Priya'
The woman in Prateik’s life is actress Priya Banerjee. The two have been seeing each other since 2020, however, they only made the relationship official earlier this year on Valentine’s Day. “I am so blessed and fortunate to have Priya. I have made so many mistakes, but I must have done something right for such a wonderful woman to come in my life. I was separated, going through divorce and Priya had broken off her engagement. It was then, when I slipped into her DMs in 2020. When we kissed first, it was game over. I knew it (she is the one). I was hesitant initially due to my divorce and how complicated it was. But she is my home. I am more obsessed with her,” he signs off.
I have never been on dating apps-Prateik Babbar
8:11 AM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; June 21, 2022)
He might portray these cool, modern characters in his web shows, but off screen, Prateik Babbar is quite an old-school guy. Talking about his idea of romance, he says, “I am extremely old-fashioned. I have never been on dating apps, although I am all for them. I know that it is an amazing platform to connect with people. I have friends who use these apps, but I have never been on one. I am that kind of a guy who believes in all things classic. I believe in wooing and being charming.”
Prateik, who has reportedly separated from his wife Sanya Sagar, prefers to not comment on his personal life. However, the actor says that balancing one’s marital and work life requires skill. Among his contemporaries, he feels Shahid Kapoor has managed to strike the right balance.
He shares, “I think Shahid has played it really well. He is an inspiration for all the actors of our generation when it comes to balancing your personal and professional life.”
During the last two years, when work had slowed down, many actors used the time to focus on their personal lives. Actors like Varun Dhawan, Vikrant Massey, Rajkummar Rao and Ranbir Kapoor tied the knot during this phase.
Prateik says, “Sabko samajh aa raha hai ki waqt kum hai. I am happy for everybody who’s settling down.”
Is Prateik Babbar’s marriage in trouble?
8:40 AM
While the couple, Prateik and Sanya, is not commenting, their friends say that it’s “too sensitive” an issue to talk about
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; April 3, 2020)
In these times of quarantine, while a divorced Bollywood couple (Hrithik Roshan and Sussanne Khan) is making headlines for moving back in together so that they can stay close to their children, rumours of another B-Town couple, Prateik Babbar and Sanya Sagar’s marriage hitting choppy waters has taken everyone by surprise.
Raj Babbar and Smita Patil’s son, Prateik had got engaged to his theatre actor girlfriend in 2018 and the two tied the knot in January 2019. Since then, the duo had never shied away from showcasing their romance, often through passionate pictures and videos on social media. However, speculations started doing the rounds recently, when they unfollowed each other on social media and Prateik also deleted some of their honeymoon pictures.
When BT reached out to close friends of the couple, most of them remained silent and said that it was “too sensitive” an issue to talk about. One of them said, “Even if there was something or not (between the two), I would not like to comment on it.” Another source close to the couple said, “How can people jump to conclusions about a couple’s relationship status depending on whether they are following each other on social media or not?” We reached out to the couple and their families, but they did not respond to the rumour of the break-up doing the rounds.
Image: Papa Raj Babbar dances at Prateik’s Lucknow wedding
2:41 PM
Actor and his bride, Sanya, who tied the knot on Jan 23, will host a flapper-themed party on Friday
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 25, 2019)
Mirror (January 8, 2019) was the first to report that after getting engaged last year, on January 22, Prateik Babbar and his writer-director-editor girlfriend, Sanya Sagar, would tie the knot in Lucknow in a two-day ceremony on January 22 and 23. The couple got married in a traditional ceremony on Wednesday, which was preceded by a mehendi and haldi function on Tuesday. The shaadi was followed by a reception for the family.
“It was a great wedding. Prateik is the baby of the house and him getting married is an amazing feeling. God bless Sanya and him,” an excited sister Juuhi told Mirror. Her actor-husband Anup Soni, brother Aarya with wife Jasmine and filmmaker Kishan Babbar with his daughter Kajri were also present on the occasion. Prateik’s actor-politician father Raj Babbar shook a leg to “Bachna Ae Haseeno” with guests. “We all go mad once the music starts playing. It was one of the biggest days in my father’s life. It is rare to see him dance but he did a lot of it at the wedding. He was very happy,” she beams.
Prod her on the newly-wed couple’s honeymoon plans and she informs, “They aren’t going on one at the moment as Prateik is tied up with work but might take up the holiday later. Meanwhile, Prateik is hosting a flapper-themed party on Friday for friends and colleagues from the film frat,” she signs off on a rush.
I hung around with the wrong people and did all the wrong things-Prateik Babbar on prepping for Mulk
7:56 AM
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; July 25, 2018)
Bollywood's brightest often state that they turn to personal experiences for inspiration, to breathe life into their characters. For Prateik Babbar, recounting memories from his troubled past — that admittedly involved an addiction to drugs — helped him play the antagonist in Mulk.
“I hung around with the wrong people and did all the wrong things that I could possibly do. I took inspiration from that phase of my life to play this character,” the actor tells mid-day of his role of a terrorist in the Rishi Kapoor and Taapsee Pannu starrer.
Having explored a grey character in Baaghi 2 earlier, the actor says essaying the part of a fanatic was on his wish list for the challenges it entails. “I was always interested in exploring the character of a terrorist. I researched on [American terrorist] David Headley by watching videos made on him, and also read the book The Mind of A Terrorist: The Strange Case of David Headley. I also watched a lot of movies and shows, including including the British drama, The State.”
Following a low-key engagement to filmmaker Sanya Sagar in January, the actor intends to tie the knot next year. “Right now, we are busy with our respective careers. We might settle down next year. She has brought a lot of stability in my life and I am thankful for that.”
Image: Prateik Babbar, Sanya Sagar get engaged in Lucknow
7:54 AM
The actor says he wants to enjoy the courtship period for another year or two and given a choice, he would want a beach or temple wedding with fiancee Sanya Sagar
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 23, 2018)
Mirror (September 11) was the first to report that Prateik Babbar has found love in 27-year-old writer-director-editor Sanya Sagar who he has known for eight years. The duo got together only a year ago after Sanya returned from London in January 2017 having completed a yearlong post-graduate course in filmmaking from Goldsmiths University. The couple got engaged on Monday at Sanya’s farmhouse in Lucknow. His fiancée, who is known for her culinary skills, had arranged for a seven-course Lucknowi meal, which included rajma, Prateik’s favourite dish.
“Sanya and I, along with our families, decided that something as pure as love should be solemnised on an auspicious day and what better day than Basant Panchami. She’s the best partner I could have asked for. It didn’t take me long to figure out that she was the one for me. I know it sounds clichéd, but I can’t stop counting my blessings and thanking God for all the good that is happening in my life,” says the smitten groom-to-be who proposed in December during a music festival in Goa.
They are yet to decide on a wedding date but plan to host separate functions in New Delhi, Lucknow and Mumbai after the nuptials for industry well-wishers and friends. “But we want to enjoy this courtship period for a year or two; Sanya will shuttle between Mumbai and Lucknow. We haven’t thought about the wedding yet, but if I had my way, I would love a beach wedding or a simple temple wedding,” the 31-year-old actor beams, admitting that though this is the beginning of a new chapter in his life, marriage won’t change anything. “I’ve been mentally ready for marriage for a while now as I believe it gives a relationship substance. Nothing will change, life will only get even more beautiful.”
He admits that his late actress-mother Smita Patil would have had been the happiest person if she were around. “I constantly feel her presence, she is my guardian angel and guiding force,” he says emotionally.
Considering the couple works in the film industry, Prateik plans to collaborate with Sanya on a project someday. “It is on our minds. It will be great to be a creatively in sync couple,” he smiles.
His father Raj Babbar and Sanya’s father Pawan Sagar are both in politics. Will he get into rajneeti too? “Not in the near future but who knows what tomorrow brings. I am not a diplomatic person so politics seems a little farfetched for me right now. I want to give my 200 per cent to films,” asserts the actor who will be seen next in Ahmed Khan’s Baaghi 2 with Tiger Shroff and Anubhav Sinha’s Taapsee Pannu-starrer Mulk.
Image: Prateik Babbar finds love in filmmaker-editor Sanya Sagar
7:41 AM
The actor has found love with a 27-year-old writer-director-editor with a passion for filmmaking and a common family background
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 11, 2017)
Mirror (Mar 2017) had
earlier reported that after completing a year of sobriety, Prateik
Babbar now plans to start a welfare centre for those grappling with
drugs and depression in Dharamshala. The 30-year-old actor is also set to
return to the screen with two big-ticket projects, Ahmed Khan's Baaghi
2, featuring Tiger Shroff and Disha Patani, in which he plays the
antagonist, and Anubhav Sinha's social thriller Mulk with Rishi Kapoor
and Taapsee Pannu. Now, Mirror has learnt that Prateik is not just
professionally, but also personally in a happy space. He's in a
picture-perfect relationship with a 27-year-old writer-director-editor
Sanya Sagar.
“Sanya is from Lucknow and her dad is a politician,“ informs a source close to the couple, who has known each other for eight years, but got together six months ago after Sanya returned from London in January having completed a year-long post-graduate course from Goldsmiths, University of London with specialisation in film. Interestingly, Prateik's dad, Raj Babbar served out two terms in the Rajya Sabha and was elected three times to the Lok Sabha. He is the currently the president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee.
“Sanya is from Lucknow and her dad is a politician,“ informs a source close to the couple, who has known each other for eight years, but got together six months ago after Sanya returned from London in January having completed a year-long post-graduate course from Goldsmiths, University of London with specialisation in film. Interestingly, Prateik's dad, Raj Babbar served out two terms in the Rajya Sabha and was elected three times to the Lok Sabha. He is the currently the president of the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee.
However, it's not politics but a shared passion for cinema that has brought together the duo, who are often spotted dining at their favourite eateries in the city. A graduate from the National Institute of Fashion Technology in fashion communication, Sanya also has a one-year diploma in practical filmmaking from the London Film Academy and has worked as a production assistant on the Danny Huston-starrer, The Last Photograph, and as a production runner on the Salma Hayek short, 11th Hour. She shares her passion for filmmaking with her beau who made his Bollywood debut in the 2008 coming-of-age drama, Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na.
In a recent interview to Mirror (August 2) touching on the phase when he was into substance abuse, Prateik had said, “I'm still on the road to recovery but I'm proud to have turned over a new leaf. I'm a fighter and criticism is not an option for me. Everyone deserves a second chance. The idea is to move on.“
The source informs that both Sanya and Prateik are supportive of each other. “They've even met each other's parents informally. But for now, they're focused on their careers,“ adds the source.
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