The actor refused to acknowledge the producer, leaving it to his aunt to make nice

The film industry is a small place. Everyone knows everyone. Whenever one meets the other, hugs and backslaps are essential even filmi enemies greet each other like that.

Even when two people from B-Town who haven't been introduced to each other, cross paths, smiles and hellos are exchanged.

On a recent flight from Mumbai to New York, Ekta Kapoor and Prateik Babbar were seated a few seats away from each other. They even saw each other in the airport before boarding, as well as in the first class lounge.

But no smiles or hellos were exchanged. Usually, the newcomer makes the first move towards the senior, but the Babbar boy refused to acknowledge the Balaji big boss, and she too looked through him.

The two were flying to NY for the MIAAC Film Festival.

While Kapoor was going there for the red carpet and screening of her next release, Shorr, Prateik, accompanied by his aunt, was to attend the retrospective of his mother, Smita Patil.

Though he saw Ekta and her friends, he rudely ignored them.

He was seated a couple of rows in front of the soap queen and even though he kept striding up and down the aisle, he pointedly looked through her every time.

The czarina of TV, not to be outdone by anyone, leave alone an newbie who still had to make his mark in films, did the same.

Says an eye-witness, "Ekta was equally cold and arrogant with him. Each time he looked in her direction, she pointedly looked out of the window."

Raj Babbar's family and the Kapoor parivaar have known each other for years, so this kind of attitude from Babbar Jr wasn't expected, but he is known for having an attitude problem.

Even at the MIAAC film festival they looked through each other.

However Prateik's aunt saved the situation. The source adds, "During the flight home, she came up to Ekta and after greeting her warmly, chatted with her for a few minutes."