It"s
a
dream
team.
It
is
an
abiding
regret
for
Sanjay
Bhansali
that
he
couldn"t
work
with
Smita
Patil.
Now
his
dream
has
come
true
in
the
most
unexpected
way.
Smita"s
son
Prateik
Babbar
will
be
starring
in
a
film,
produced
by
Bhansali
to
be
made
later
this
year.
Raghav
Dar,
who
assisted
Mani
Ratnam
during
Guru,
and
then
served
as
the
associate
director
on
Abbas
Tyrewala"s
Jaane
Tu…Ya
Jaane
Na,
will
direct
the
film
called
My
Friend
Pinto.
That"s
when
Raghav
got
to
know
Prateik.
They
decided
to
work
together
whenever
Raghav
directs
his
first
film.
My
Friend
Pinto
would
be
Prateik"s
first
author-backed
title
role.
He
had
a
captivating
cameo
in
Jaane
Tu…Ya
Jaane
Na
and
apparently
Aamir
Khan
plays
the
lead
in
Prateik"s
second
film
Dhobi
Ghat.
Naturally
Prateik"s
aunt
Manya
Patil
is
thrilled
by
the
progress
that
Prateik
is
making.
“When
the
director
Abbas
Tyrewala
told
me
about
the
role
in
Jaane
Tu
Ya
Jaane
Na,
I
wasn"t
so
sure.
It
sounded
like
a
small
role.
But
Abbas
told
me
to
trust
him.
And
that,
the
role
was
tailor-made
for
Prateik.
To
his
credit
the
role
turned
out
exactly
the
way
it
was
narrated.
I"m
glad
Prateik"s
career
is
working
out.
Today
there
is
room
for
all
kinds
of
cinema.
And
like
his
mom
we
want
Prateik
to
be
adventurous
in
his
choices.
I"m
there
to
guide
him,
though
I"m
not
really
a
part
of
the
film
industry," says
the
proud
aunt.
Manya
Patil
has
produced
one
film
Dubai
Returned
featuring
Irrfan
Khan
and
Divya
Dutta.
Speaking
on
Prateik"s
unique
life
as
a
child
who
lost
his
mother
when
he
was
born
Manya
says,
“Actually
Prateik
has
so
many
self-appointed
mothers
including
my
mother,
my
elder
sister
Anita
and
me,
of
course."
Adds
Prateik,
“It"s
a
privilege
to
be
working
with
Mr.
Bhansali.
When
I
met
him
I
was
amazed
to
find
out
how
normal
he
is,
in
spite
of
being
an
artiste
of
such
a
high
caliber."