Pratik making more money than most actors of his age

By Subhash K Jha

Pratik Babbar has gotten over his chicken pox attack.The young actor is back on his feet. And how! Back from the shooting of Rohit Sippy's Dum Maro Dum he's busy being rigorously trained in Western dance forms under Sandip Soparkar.

Pratik goes on stage for a charity show in aid of destitute kids this week where he'll dance like there's no tomorrow.

Confirming these developments Pratik's aunt Manya Patil says, “Pratik has been practising hard in all the Western dance forms… the Salsa, tango, waltz, you name it. Filmy dancing was one area he was weak in. Now he's making up in that area.”

Continues the proud aunt, “When Patik did Jaane Tu…Ya JaaneNa he wasn't sure if he was going to be an actor. The aim now is to be a full-on Hindi film hero. But at the same time Pratik is very much grounded to a reality beyond cinema.”

Says his proud and protective aunt, “I take him with me to travel all over the country and outside. I want his world – vision to be broadened and to accommodate all kinds of reality not necessarily born from cinema.At home we don't discuss cinema incessantly. Pratik has to understand that there is a vast world outside cinema.”

Not that Pratik hasn't been catching up on movie experiences. He has been avidly watching all the Hindi classics including his mother Smita Patil's but sometimes seems to enjoy the performances of other actors more than his mother's.

Says his aunt, “Pratik saw Chakra and said he liked his Naseer Uncle better than his mom. I looked at him sternly. But he has his own mind.And uses it liberally. He knows exactly what to do.”

Pratik Babbar is making more money than most actors of his age, thanks to the upswing in his career. But he still gets the same pocket money at home that he did before he became an actor. Not a penny more not a penny less!

Says his aunt, “Though Pratik's life as a professional has changed and he's making quite a lot of money, at home we haven't allowed him to acquire any outward signs of his new status. So yes Pratik still gets the same pocket money that he used to before he became a star.”

Pratik remains close to his mother's family. He apparently shares a far stronger bond with his aunt Manya's son Kail who's studying in New York than his half-brother Arya Babbar.

Says Manya, “To me there's no difference between Pratik and my biological son Kail.” Kail who's studying in New York is approximately a year younger than Pratik. The two cousins share everything from confidences to clothes.

“I've never felt any difference in my feelings for Kail and Pratik, ” says Manya Patil emotionally.