Filmmaker Priyadarshan has come out in support of actor Rajpal Yadav.

Yadav was sent to Tihar Jail after the Delhi High Court rejected his last-minute plea for relief in a long-running Rs 9 crore debt and cheque bounce case. He surrendered on 5 February. His bail plea is pending and is scheduled to be heard on 16 February 2026.

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In an interview with Mid-Day, Priyadarshan — who has worked with Yadav in films such as Malamaal Weekly, Bhagam Bhaag, Chup Chup Ke and De Dana Dan — said he had known the actor for more than two decades and wished to support him during his financial difficulties.

“I have known him for more than 20 years. I saw him for the first time in Jungle and was surprised by his performance. My first film with him was Malamaal Weekly, and after that, he has starred in most of my films. I told the producers (Jubilee Films) of my next film to pay Rajpal more than what he charges because of his situation. We want to save him. The producers have agreed. Rajpal plays the villain in my movie,” Priyadarshan said.

He added: “I knew about his problem. That’s why I kept signing Rajpal for every film. I pushed him in ad films too. The poor guy made a blunder because of his poor education. Rajpal is a good soul.”

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The director’s next project is a comedy starring Pankaj Tripathi alongside Yadav.

Several members of the Hindi film industry have reportedly extended financial assistance to Yadav. Actors including Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Varun Dhawan and Sonu Sood are said to have offered support.

Yadav’s wife, Radha Yadav, recently thanked the industry for standing by the family. Speaking to PTI, she said: “Everybody has stood by him. The industry has been supportive, a big thank you to everyone who is coming out to help.”