Prateik Babbar struggled to fight alcohol, drugs addiction: I needed it for my soul

Actor Prateik Babbar has shown immense courage as he opened up about his battle against alcohol and drug addiction. The actor shares how he struggled on his road to recovery and that he owes it to his late mother Smita Patil.

Known for films like  Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na, Dum Maaro Dum, Ekk Deewana Tha among others, Prateik told The Times of India in an interview, "What saved me from drowning mentally and emotionally, and I say saved, because I thought everything was over for me and my career was done with, was the love and passion for the arts."

He shares that once he fought against his addiction, he wanted to reestablish his life and even offered to work for free in the industry. "It must have been 2016-17, when I went clean of alcohol and drugs for a few months in a row. I could think with a clear head. That’s when I started missing my work. It was something I needed for my soul and that is when I started picking up different kinds of roles. I rebooted myself with plays and short films. I did things for no money at all, at times. I did things for free for people to just remember that I exist and I haven’t left the stage yet” he added.

Prateik is the son of late actress Smita Patil and actor Raj Babbar, and he talks about how he has a legacy to carry forward to. "Yes, I do feel a sense of responsibility to live up to my mother’s legacy. People may see that as a burden, but I will not call it that. If it’s seen as a weight on my shoulders, I’d say it’s one that I am proud of," he said.

On the work front, Parteik made a comeback with big banner films such as Baaghi 2, Mulk and Chhichhore. Next up, he has Akshay Kumar-starrer Bachchan Pandey and Madhur Bhandarkar's India Lockdown in his pipeline.