Rajpal Yadav opens up on his days in Tihar jail, tells Farah Khan if he had any duties: ‘Bahut discipline se rehna tha’

Rajpal Yadav discussed his experiences in Tihar jail during a conversation with Farah Khan. He expressed gratitude for the support he received from peers.

In February this year, actor Rajpal Yadav surrendered and was sent to Tihar Jail in connection with a ₹9 crore debt and cheque bounce case. However, on February 16, he was granted interim bail till March 18. Recently, Rajpal reflected on that phase of his life during a candid chat with filmmaker and choreographer Farah Khan.

Farah Khan asks Rajpal Yadav about his jail time.

Farah Khan talks about Rajpal Yadav's Tihar jail term

During the vlog, Rajpal made mixed vegetable rice for Farah and Dilip and was seen chopping vegetables himself. The actor revealed that when he was a struggling actor in Mumbai and lived with 10–12 people, they would all make this dish to avoid making chapatis for so many people. Later, when Farah asked if he had been assigned any duties during his jail term, Rajpal said the situation never escalated to that point.

Speaking about his days in Tihar Jail, Rajpal revealed, “Voh naubat nahi thi, lekin bahut discipline se rehna tha vahan pe aur proper time katna tha (It hadn’t come to that point, but one had to stay very disciplined there and serve the time properly).” When Farah further asked if he was bitter about going to jail, Rajpal said, “Maine har condition main jeena seekh liya hai (I have learned to live in every condition).”

Rajpal also expressed his gratitude to the people who came out in his support and helped him financially. When the actor was sent to Tihar Jail, actor Sonu Sood was among the first to come out in his support and urged filmmakers to sign Rajpal with a small signing amount that could help him pay off his debts and come out of jail. Following this, several others, including Salman Khan, filmmaker David Dhawan and Priyadarshan, also reportedly came forward to help him.

About Rajpal Yadav’s ₹9 crore debt case

All of this began in 2010 when Rajpal Yadav took a loan of ₹5 crore from a Delhi-based company to finance his directorial debut, Ata Pata Laapata. However, the film’s poor box office performance led to financial losses, and he was unable to repay the amount, triggering a legal dispute. In 2018, a magistrate’s court convicted him in a cheque bounce case under the Negotiable Instruments Act and sentenced him to six months in jail. The verdict was upheld in 2019, with the total liability rising to nearly ₹9 crore.

In February, after failing to clear the dues, he surrendered and was sent to Tihar Jail. He was later granted interim bail on February 16 after depositing ₹1.5 crore, following confirmation from the complainant’s lawyer. The relief was extended, with the Delhi High Court stating that he would not be taken back into custody even after the earlier interim order was set aside. The actor recently requested a 30-day extension to arrange the loan amount, but the Delhi High Court rejected his request and reserved its verdict.

Farah Khan and Rajpal Yadav’s upcoming projects

Farah has promised to begin work on her new directorial later this year. She revealed that she would be making a film with Shah Rukh Khan. However, more details about the project are yet to be revealed. Rajpal, on the other hand, is awaiting the release of Bhooth Bangla. The horror-comedy, directed by Priyadarshan, stars Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal in lead roles, along with Wamiqa Gabbi and Tabu in key roles. The film is scheduled to release in cinemas on April 17.