Not blood brothers, but still my sons: RajBabber

The brotherly love, the camaraderie and the mutual care that they shared is now all lost.

The two brothers, Arya Babbar and Pratik, despite being born to different mothers, were once thick friends and like blood brothers.

After Arya Babbar's recently outburst that Pratik has been trying to attract cheap publicity in some way or the other, the father of the two is hurt.

He takes a deep breath and says, "I want my family as well as Pratik's mother's family to know that he is and always will be my son.

Whatever Arya or anyone else has to say Pratik is my younger son. And as far as I am concerned, I have three children Juhi, Arya and Pratik. That will never change."

When reminded that Pratik had never expressed any solidarity with his patriarchal side and had shown no love for his father's family, Raj Babbar quickly rises to Pratik's guard. "I refuse to believe that. I've seen the love and respect in Pratik's eyes for me.

And that's reason enough for me to believe that all my children love me and will be there for me when I need them. So what if Pratik has dropped the 'Babbar' surname? It's his choice and prerogative.

Do you know my father was a 'Varma', grandfather was a 'Malhotra' and great-grandfather was a 'Hakim'. I chose to call myself 'Babbar'.

If Pratik wishes to be known without a surname it doesn't take away from his identity as my son. Nothing can change that."

Dissociating himself from Aarya's outburst against Pratik, the impartial dispassionate father says, "That was between the two brothers.

I don't want to get into that. Why should I put Aarya in the dock for what he said about Pratik? That was a hurt brother reacting.

It's between Aarya and Pratik. If Pratik feels he has a brother in someone else what's wrong with that? When I came into the film industry I felt B.R Chopra was like a father away from home.

New relationships are formed within the film industry. It doesn't mean the older relationships cease to matter."

Raj feels there're many people who are trying to create more trouble in the already strained relationship between the Babbars and the Patils. "Nowadays anyone can say anything to get publicity. Let people talk. My children will never speak against me."