‘Rajpal Yadav made a blunder because of poor education’: Priyadarshan comes in support of the actor, says he has increased his fees to support him

‘Rajpal Yadav made a blunder because of his poor education’: Priyadarshan

Priyadarshan, in a conversation with Mid-Day, revealed that during these financially tough times, he has increased Rajpal’s fees and will do everything to support him. “I have known him for more than 20 years. I saw him for the first time in Jungle and was surprised by his performance. My first film with him was Malamaal Weekly, and after that, he has starred in most of my films. I told the producers (Jubilee Films) of my next film to pay Rajpal more than what he charges because of his situation. We want to save him. The producers have agreed. Rajpal plays the villain in my movie.”

He also added that he was aware of the court case and the challenging times Rajpal has been battling for more than a decade, attributing some of his troubles to a lack of formal education. “I knew about his problem. That’s why I kept signing Rajpal for every film. I pushed him in ad films too. The poor guy made a blunder because of his poor education. Rajpal is a good soul.”

Gurmeet Choudhary offers financial assistance

Meanwhile, actor Gurmeet Choudhary has also stepped in to offer financial assistance. Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, he said, “It is heart-breaking to see an actor of Rajpal ji’s seniority behind bars for such an offence when white-collar criminals get away with siphoning millions. I am going to do all I can to help Rajpal ji financially. I also urge my colleagues in the film industry to come forward to help one of their troubled colleagues. Rajpal ji has given so much to our entertainment industry. He doesn’t deserve this.”

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‘Rajpal Yadav is mentally very strong’: Padam Singh

Rajpal’s friend and long-time associate, Padam Singh, also vouched for him. “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,” he told NDTV.

Padam Singh further addressed Rajpal’s controversial film Ata Pata Laapata, for which the actor allegedly borrowed Rs 5 crore from businessman Madhav Gopal Agarwal. With the film underperforming at the box office, the unpaid dues reportedly escalated to nearly Rs 9 crore, which Rajpal has been unable to fully repay. Speaking about the film, he said, “He made Ata Pata Laapata with very forward-thinking ideas and great sincerity. He directed it himself, and most people in the film industry worked on it enthusiastically. Secondly, the investment that came in for the film at that time kept increasing with interest. He is a very mentally strong person and has the strength to face any situation. He has the blessings of Gurudev.”

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Before surrendering to Tihar authorities last week, Rajpal made an emotional remark reflecting the deep sense of isolation he has felt throughout this prolonged legal battle. As per NewsX, the actor said, “Sir, kya karoon? Mere paas paise nahin hain. Aur koi upaay nahin dikhta. Sir, yahan hum sab akele hain. There are no friends. I have to deal with this crisis on my own.” (Sir, what should I do? I don’t have the money. I see no other option. Sir, here we are all alone.)

These words from him ignited a wave of support from the film industry. Rajpal’s manager, Goldie Jain, later told SCREEN, “A lot of people have reached out to help Rajpal Yadav. Actors like Sonu Sood, Salman Khan, and Ajay Devgn have extended their support. I was just on a call with David Dhawan, he too reached out. Ratan Nain, Varun Dhawan, many people are coming forward to help him this time, which Rajpal has deeply appreciated.”