Rajpal Yadav: My short height has always been the fight of my life

5’3” in height, actor Rajpal Yadav has been the butt of many jokes, but he isn’t affected by any of them.

With more than 100 films to his credit in a two-decade long Bollywood career, actor Rajpal Yadav is loved by the audience for his perfect comic timing in films such as Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007) and Bhagam Bhag (2006).

Actor Rajpal Yadav is currently shooting for a Hollywood film.(Hindustan Times)

In most of his films, many jokes have been cracked at Rajpal’s ‘short’ height, but the actor laughs it off saying, “Height would be an issue for those who are uneducated. I remember watching The Great Dictator (1940), starring Charlie Chaplin. Voh bhi toh chhoti height ke aadmi the! (He was also short in height). But his work spoke volumes, and he emerged as a mountain of creativity, which no one has been able to move. In cricket, there would be bowlers as tall as six feet, but the ‘little master’ Sachin Tendulkar hit 100 centuries!”

The actor, who is currently filming in Jalandhar for a Hollywood project, goes on to say, “Height meri fight hai apni life ki (Height has been the fight of my life).” However, not letting such a thing bog him down, he adds, “I don’t know how to pray and don’t believe in any superstitions, but my belief in myself is very strong. Some people don’t have hands, some don’t have eyes — these people’s struggle in life is real. We have been blessed with everything — a pair of eyes, ears, hands. What do we have to worry about? About having one more foot added to our height? Just because I am not six feet, won’t I be respected?”

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