In a recent interview, actor Prateik Babbar has spoken about making a comeback in the industry after a long struggle with drug and alcohol dependency. He said he wanted to get his life back in order because he wanted to make his late mother, actress Smita Patil proud. He talked about getting sober, and trying to reestablish himself in the industry by offering to work for free.
He wrote, “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 said the road to recovery was “rocky”. “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 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.”
He added, “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.” The actor said that he feels he owes it to his mother to succeed. Prateik said, “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.”
On the work front, Prateik made a comeback with high profile films such as 'Baaghi 2', 'Mulk', and 'Chhichhore'. He has Akshay Kumar-starrer 'Bachchan Pandey' and Madhur Bhandarkar's 'India Lockdown' in the pipeline as well.
