Helping Rajpal Yadav is our responsibility: Sonu Sood

BOMBAY TIMES (February 11, 2026)

Senior actor Rajpal Yadav has been going through a tough time amid legal and financial trouble, and he recently surrendered before the Tihar Jail authorities in a cheque-bounce case. Reportedly, before surrendering to the authorities, the actor broke down and said, “Sir, kya karoon? Mere paas paise nahin hain. Aur koi upaay nahin dikhta.”

When asked if he had considered seeking help from colleagues or industry friends, Yadav replied, “Sir, yahan hum sab akele hain. There are no friends. I have to deal with this crisis on my own.”

Sonu Sood, who has worked with Yadav in many films, shared a note on social media, urging his fellow industry members to help him. Sonu wrote, “Rajpal Yadav is a gifted actor who has given years of unforgettable work to our industry. Sometimes life turns unfair, not because of talent, but because timing can be brutal. He will be part of my film, and I believe this is the moment for all of us..,producers, directors, colleagues to stand together. A small signing amount, adjustable against future work, is not charity, it’s dignity.”

Reflecting on the need to help the actor, he further wrote, “When one of our own is going through a tough phase, the industry must remind him he’s not alone. This is how we show we are more than just an industry.”

On the work front, Yadav, who has been part of films like Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Darna Mana Hai, Kal Ho Naa Ho, Garam Masala, Chup Chup Ke and Partner, will next be seen in Bhooth Bangla and Welcome To The Jungle.

The case so far:
Rajpal Yadav surrendered to the police after the Delhi High Court directed him to do so in connection with multiple cheque bounce cases. The actor, who had taken a loan for his directorial, Ata Pata Laapata, in 2010, was unable to repay the loan. In 2018, a magisterial court sentenced him to a six-month jail term. In 2019, a sessions court upheld the verdict.

When the actor and his wife approached the Delhi High Court in 2024 for relief, the court temporarily suspended the sentence, taking into consideration the fact that the actor and his wife were not habitual offenders. It allowed time for resettlement. However, the actor was unable to repay the debt. The Delhi High Court, on Wednesday, rejected Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav’s plea seeking an extension of time to surrender before jail authorities.
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Yashika Mathur (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 11, 2026)

Actor Sonu Sood took to social media on Tuesday to share that Rajpal Yadav will be part of his upcoming film, adding that the actor would be given a “small signing amount, adjustable against future work”. The announcement comes just days after Rajpal surrendered at Delhi’s Tihar Jail on Feb 5 in connection with a cheque bounce case.

Speaking to us, Sonu says, “Helping him is our responsibility as colleagues, and I hope we can make this happen. It’s a little too early to talk about the film as it is in the final writing stages.”

The 52-year-old, who previously worked with Rajpal in Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero (2004), adds, “A lot of people in our industry have worked with Rajpal bhai. He will be a part of my film, and I request all producers to do the same so that he can come out of the tough phase he is facing.”

The cheque bounce case stems from a Rs. 5 crore loan Rajpal took in 2010 to fund his directorial debut, Ata Pata Laapata (2012). The amount later reportedly swelled to nearly Rs. 9 crore, which he was unable to repay, following which he surrendered last Thursday.