Rajpal Yadav says ‘I get 500 selfies clicked at airports’, defends legacy amid cheque bounce case

Amid talk about jail time and bounced cheques, Rajpal Yadav is drawing a hard line between his legal battles and his decades-long legacy in cinema. The actor, best known for his comic timing in a string of Bollywood hits, isn't letting recent controversy rewrite the story of his career, and he's not shy about saying so.

'I am sold in the name of art'

Speaking to ANI, Yadav pushed back firmly against anyone questioning his standing as an artist because of his money troubles. He didn't deny the debts, but he refused to let them define him.

"I am dedicated to my career. I am an art student of Indian cinema. If I owe money to 100-200 people in the last 30-40 years, from the village to here, then it will reach their homes. It doesn't matter, because I know where it is. But I would like to ask: when the fund is in trouble, how can they bet on the artist's entire biodata? Rajpal Yadav, whether in trouble or in goodness, gets 500 selfies clicked at every airport. Rajpal is such a responsible actor in this world. No one can buy me for 5 crores, 10 crores, 100 crores, 250 crores because I have been sold in the name of art since childhood. No one can buy me for money. Believe me on this."

A promise to himself

Yadav went further, framing his current chapter not as a setback but as a prelude to something he intends to show the world. Calling himself devoted to his craft in near-spiritual terms, he vowed to deliver work that speaks for itself.

"In my life journey, taking the journey of acting, taking the journey of acting, in which I am a priest of theatre and films, even if you call it a loss, whatever you call it, but 100% I will definitely make something and give it to you, so that you can see what Rajpal has done from 2000 to 2026. It may take a year or two for that. I said from the first day that I was never lost. Neither by making films, nor by making a house, nor by making a career."

The case behind the comments

The remarks come on the heels of a rough legal stretch. In July, the Delhi High Court upheld convictions and sentences against Yadav and his wife, Radha Yadav, in a set of cheque-dishonour cases tied to a financial dispute with Murli Projects Pvt. Ltd. According to the Court, the actor had been given repeated chances over an extended period to make good on commitments made before the Court, chances he didn't follow through on, ultimately leaving the judges no option but to order him to surrender to jail authorities. Yadav served a short stint behind bars before walking free after settling part of the outstanding amount with the complainant.