Rajpal was sent to jail on February 4 after the Delhi High Court rejected his final plea in a long-running cheque dishonour case. The matter is related to a loan he had taken for his directorial debut, Ata Pata Laapata. He later surrendered before authorities on February 5.
According to reports, Rajpal had borrowed around Rs 5 crore to finance the film. What began as a passion project slowly turned into a financial burden after the film failed to perform at the box office. Over the years, unpaid dues, interest and penalties reportedly increased the amount to nearly Rs 9 crore.
Rajpal Yadav’s close-friend defends him amid legal case
His close friend and co-star Padam Singh has now come forward to defend him. Speaking to NDTV, Padam said that Rajpal made Ata Pata Laapata with sincerity and progressive thinking. He shared that the actor directed the film himself and that many people from the industry joined the project out of goodwill and belief in its vision. However, despite the effort and ambition behind it, the film did not receive the appreciation it had hoped for.Padam also spoke about the challenges during production. He explained that the film took nearly two to two-and-a-half years to complete, and delays added to the mounting costs. Initially planned on a budget of around Rs 6 crore, the expenditure reportedly went up to nearly Rs 20 crore due to the long schedule and rising interest on borrowed money.
The film featured respected names such as Om Puri, Dara Singh, Asrani, Govind Namdev and Ashutosh Rana. Despite the strong cast, Ata Pata Laapata, which released in 2012, reportedly earned only about ₹38 lakh at the box office. The poor performance pushed Rajpal into deep financial trouble.
Defending his friend’s character, Padam said Rajpal is a mentally strong person with honest intentions. The actor said, “He is a person with very pure intentions. If he is given time, he has the ability to repay every single rupee to everyone, and he will do so. His intentions are absolutely clean. I have known him since 1997, personally, as family, and as a guru-brother. He has always done things for others. If he is given a little time, he will repay every single rupee.”
Before surrendering, Rajpal reportedly shared an emotional statement, saying he had no money left and felt alone in dealing with the crisis. His words reflected the pressure he has been facing over the years.
Rajpal Yadav’s case update
Meanwhile, members of the film fraternity have stepped forward to show support. Actors like Sonu Sood, Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Gurmeet Choudhary have reportedly offered help, and the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has appealed to the industry to stand by him during this difficult time.
According to actor’s manager Goldie, Rajpal Yadav’s bail hearing is scheduled for today (February 12).
