Rajpal Yadav in jail over cheque-bounce cases: Tej Pratap Yadav, Sonu Sood and Gurmeet Chaudhary extend help

New Delhi: Actors Sonu Sood, Gurmeet Chaudhary and politician Tej Pratap Yadav on Tuesday offered help to Rajpal Yadav after the comedian surrendered to Tihar jail authorities in connection with cheque-bounce cases stemming from the box office debacle of his 2010 directorial debut.

Tej Pratap Yadav, Jan Shakti Janata Dal president and the elder son of politician Lalu Yadav, announced the financial assistance of Rs 11 lakh to Yadav 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 shared 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.

In a post on X, Sood said he was signing up Yadav for his next film and offering the signing amount as a way to help the embattled actor, who is an NSD graduate and has been a mainstay in many popular Bollywood comedies. Sood urged others to come forward as well.

"Rajpal Yadav is a gifted actor who has given years of unforgettable work to our industry. Sometimes life turns unfair, not because of talent, but because timing can be brutal. He will be part of my film, and I believe this is the moment for all of us... Producers, directors, colleagues to stand together," he wrote in the post.

The actor said the industry should "remind him he’s not alone".

"A small signing amount, adjustable against future work, is not charity, it’s dignity. When one of our own is going through a tough phase... This is how we show we are more than just an industry," he added.

Yadav, known for movies such as Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Waqt, Phir Hera Pheri, Partner, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Hungama and Chup Chup Ke, was sent to Tihar jail after the Delhi High Court rejected his plea seeking more time to repay outstanding amount in a cheque-bounce cases. The actor has to pay nearly Rs 9 crore.

In 2010, Yadav borrowed Rs 5 crore from M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd for his directorial debut film "Ata Pata Laapata", but the film flopped at the box office. Before his surrender, Yadav told the Bollywood Hungama that he did not have money or any other means to pay the outstanding amount. When asked whether he had sought help from his famous colleagues, the actor said, "Everyone is on their own" in the industry.

Actor Gurmeet Chaudhary, best known for his portrayal of Ram in a TV show, said he was heartbroken to see a senior and "immensely talented artist" like Rajpal Yadav to go through such a painful phase.

"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," Chaudhary wrote on X.

The Delhi High Court, in its recent judgement, noted that Yadav was required to make payments of Rs 1.35 crore in each of the seven cases against him and directed that the amount already deposited with the registrar general of the high court be released in favour of the complainant.