Following his release from Tihar Jail in connection with a cheque-bounce case, actor Rajpal Yadav on Wednesday said prison authorities must introduce smoking rooms on the premises.

There should be “designated smoking areas inside jails, similar to facilities at railway stations and airports”, Yadav told PTI at his ancestral village in Shahjahanpur district, adding that he received immense love from people.

The actor also emphasised that prisons should act as reform centres where inmates should be allowed opportunities to change.

“It is often difficult to judge from outside who is a hardened criminal and who made a one-time mistake,” Yadav said.

Yadav said he would not interact with the media for the next two days due to a family wedding and would reply to questions at a press conference later.

“I want to increase my earnings, not change my currency,” Yadav said.

As per PTI, Yadav said he does not mind if his photos or videos benefited others. “Laugh at Rajpal Yadav or laugh because of Rajpal Yadav.”

Opening up about his smoking habit, the actor said he tried to quit several times, clarifying that he was not promoting tobacco use.

Yadav was sent to Tihar Jail after the Delhi High Court rejected his plea seeking additional time to repay outstanding dues in the cases. The actor is required to pay nearly Rs 9 crore.

In 2010, Yadav had borrowed Rs 5 crore from a private firm, Murli Projects Private Limited, to produce the film Ata Pata Lapata. The film failed at the box office, and Yadav faced financial difficulties. He was unable to repay the loan on time.

The cheques issued by him at the time of taking the loan reportedly bounced, following which a complaint was filed against him. Although there was a settlement between the parties, the full payment was not made, and interest accumulated over time, significantly increasing the total liability.

In 2018, a Delhi court in Karkardooma convicted Yadav and sentenced him to six months in jail. He subsequently approached higher courts and was granted relief on multiple occasions after assuring payment and settlement.

After Yadav went to jail, several Bollywood celebrities and politicians — including actors Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Varun Dhawan, Sonu Sood, filmmaker David Dhawan and politician Tej Pratap Yadav — pledged support to him.

Boxer-actor Vijender Singh also stepped forward in support on Monday, offering Yadav a role in his upcoming film with filmmaker Sanjay Sanju Saini.

Yadav has already paid Rs 1.5 crore of his total Rs 9 crore debt, his lawyer told the court.