Kamal Ghorui
Actor-comedian Rajpal Yadav recently addressed the media in Mumbai amid the ongoing Rs 9 crore cheque bounce case, arriving at the press conference with his lawyer Bhaskar Upadhyay. During the interaction, he spoke about his legal battle, the support he has received and the scale of his upcoming work.Reacting to Sonu Sood’s recent comment about offering him work, Rajpal told Screen, “Please get over the misconception that I need to keep asking for work. And there is no shame in asking for work. I live through my job, cinema is my passion, and I work in such a way that I get four times more work. I work even on vacations. Work doesn’t find me, it has lived with me for the last 11 years.”
Speaking about his upcoming slate, he added, “I am doing my first film this year with Priyanji, Bhoot Bangla, then I have Welcome To The Jungle, where there are 27 actors, and then there is Haiwaan, where I played a small but amazing role. I have two web series and two other films, which I cannot talk about as of now.”
Projects worth over Rs 1000 crore
At the press conference, Rajpal revealed that he has projects committed for the next seven years, including branding ventures valued at over Rs 1000 crore. He said he has signed four agreements — not including films — with individual projects ranging between Rs 200 crore and Rs 2000 crore. His income structure, he explained, includes a mix of professional fees and equity participation. He also confirmed that he is committed to 10 films in the coming period.
Support during jail term and legal relief
The actor also spoke about the support he received during his time in jail, sharing that contributions poured in from across the country — from children sending savings from their piggy banks to transfers amounting to Rs 1 crore through social media. He said he plans to issue a formal statement thanking supporters, including a few individuals he wishes to acknowledge personally, while respecting those who want to remain anonymous. He added that he intends to return the financial help once given time. For those unaware, the Delhi High Court recently granted interim suspension of Rajpal Yadav’s sentence in the cheque bounce case until March 18. The bench of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma directed him to furnish a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh along with one surety of the same amount, noting that Rs 1.5 crore has already been deposited in the respondent’s bank account while granting relief.
