When Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav was sent to Tihar Jail in a ₹9 crore debt and cheque bounce case, an old video of Nawazuddin Siddiqui resurfaced online in which the actor revealed how Rajpal’s house was like a langar for struggling actors. Now, after the actor was given interim bail last week, he has reacted to Nawazuddin’s statement.
Rajpal Yadav reacts to Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s statement
In an interview with UP Tak, Rajpal was asked about Nawazuddin calling his house a langar for struggling actors. He said, “Voh unka badapan hai. Hum 10-15 log the har state ke aur usmein kaam kisko milta hai matter nahi karta hai. Mandi house de leke sabne kaam saath main kiya hai yeh matter karta hain. Aage kaam kisko milega yeh matter nahi karta. Khaana ek ka pet bharega toh sabka bharega nahi toh sabko bhookha rehna padega. That was the spirit (That shows his generosity. There were 10–15 of us from different states, and it didn’t matter who got work. What mattered was that from Mandi House onwards, we all worked together. It was never about who would get work next. If food fills one person’s stomach, it won’t fill everyone’s — and if not, then everyone has to stay hungry).”
He added, “Ho sakta hai unki dua ki wajah se main madhyam ban gaya hoon aur mujhe kaam mil gaya. Mujhe toh aisa nahi lagta hai ki 10-15 kya lakhon croreon Rajpal aise galiyon main mil jaate hain. Unhe lagta hai ki arey baap Rey agar unhe koi platform mil jaaye toh yeh asmaan main jhande gaad den (It’s possible that because of their blessings, I became a medium and got work. I don’t believe that there are only 10 or 15 people like me — there are lakhs and crores of Rajpals to be found in these lanes. People feel that if they are given a platform, they would accomplish so much).”
What Nawazuddin Siddiqui said
In June 2024, in an interview with Lallantop, Nawazuddin spoke about his decades-long friendship with Rajpal. He revealed that they studied together at Bharatendu Natya Academy (BNA) in Lucknow and the National School of Drama (NSD) in New Delhi.
Nawazuddin further revealed that when Rajpal began getting good work, he continued to support struggling actors. He said, “A lot of people would eat at his home when Rajpal began to get good work, and he never complained. He always helped people. Not just me, when a lot of actors were struggling, his house was like a langar (communal free kitchen). Anybody could come and eat there. He jokes a lot, but in reality, he is a very sensitive human being.”
About Rajpal Yadav’s ₹9 crore debt case
The case began when Rajpal reportedly took a loan of around ₹5 crore in 2010 from a Delhi-based lender (M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd) to fund his directorial film Ata Pata Laapata. After the film flopped, he struggled to repay the loan and, with interest and penalties, the total amount reportedly rose to nearly ₹9 crore. Several post-dated cheques issued by him bounced, leading to a prolonged legal battle.
In early February 2026, the Delhi High Court criticised Yadav for repeatedly failing to honour court-ordered repayments and directed him to surrender to the authorities. He subsequently surrendered at Tihar Jail in connection with the cheque bounce case. On 16 February 2026, the Delhi High Court granted him interim bail until the next hearing on 18 March 2026 after he deposited around ₹1.5 crore.
