Politician Tej Pratap Yadav, and actors Kamaal R Khan and Gurmeet Chowdhyrt on Tuesday offered financial assistance to actor-comedian Rajpal Yadav after the latter surrendered to Tihar Jail authorities in connection with cheque-bounce cases linked to the failure of his 2010 directorial debut.
Tej Pratap Yadav, president of the Jan Shakti Janata Dal (JJD) and elder son of Lalu Yadav, announced Rs 11 lakh in support of the actor and his family.
“I just received information about the pain of the family of the honorable Rajpal Yadav ji through the post of my elder brother Rao Inderjeet Yadav ji. In this extremely difficult time, I and my entire JJD (Jan Shakti Janata Dal) family stand in complete empathy and solidarity with their grieving family,” Yadav said in a post on X.
“With a spirit of human compassion and support, on behalf of the JJD family, I am providing financial assistance of ₹11,00,000 (eleven lakh rupees) to their family,” he added.
Rajpal Yadav surrendered last week after the Delhi High Court rejected his plea seeking additional time to repay outstanding dues in cheque-bounce cases. He has since been remanded to Delhi’s Tihar Jail. The actor is required to pay nearly Rs 9 crore.
The cases stem from a Rs 5 crore loan Yadav took in 2010 from M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd for his directorial debut Ata Pata Laapata, which failed at the box office.
According to court records, he was required to make payments of Rs 1.35 crore in each of the seven cases against him. The High Court directed that the amount already deposited with the registrar general be released in favour of the complainant.
Before surrendering, Yadav told Bollywood Hungama that he did not have the funds or any other means to clear the outstanding amount. When asked whether he had sought assistance from industry colleagues, he said, “Everyone is on their own” in the industry.
Actor Gurmeet Choudhary also expressed concern over the development, describing Yadav as a senior and “immensely talented artist”.
“He has given us countless smiles, laughter, and unforgettable moments. Today, he needs us. As a fellow actor and as a human being, I am stepping forward to help in whatever way I can. I humbly request all producers, directors, and members of our film fraternity-let’s come together, with compassion and humanity, and find a solution. Our industry is a family. And family does not abandon its own," Choudhary wrote on X.
Actor and critic Kamaal R Khan also announced financial support for Yadav. On Tuesday, he pledged Rs 10 lakh and urged members of the film fraternity to contribute towards clearing part of Yadav’s dues.
“I am ready to give ₹10 lakhs for Rajpal Yadav. Let’s all Bollywood people come together to give him ₹5cr! If he does pay back only ₹5cr so he can come out from jail immediately! Let’s all help him,” he wrote on X.
Earlier actor Sonu Sood also pledged support for Yadav.
