Vinay MR Mishra (BOMBAY TIMES; February 24, 2026)

Rajpal Yadav has commenced shooting for Welcome To The Jungle, marking his return to work, days after he walked out of Tihar Jail on bail in connection with a cheque bounce case. Shortly after his release, Yadav had shared a message on social media, thanking fans and well-wishers for their support.

When we reached out to him, Yadav told us, “Everyone has given me a lot of love. It feels great to be back on set. The cast members of Welcome To The Jungle, welcomed me back with great excitement and affection. Fortunately, there were no continuity issues and I look forward to working with everyone.” When asked how does it feel to be back on the set after such a time, and he quipped, "It was merely 13 days. People taake longer breaks than 13 days." He also added, "It was only normal for everyone to hug me once I returned on the set. And what better way to get a welcome back than working on Welcome To The Jungle."

Welcome to the Jungle, directed by Ahmed Khan, features an ensemble cast of over 30 actors, including Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Jackie Shroff, Raveena Tandon, Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Arshad Warsi, Paresh Rawal and Johny Lever.

In an earlier interview with us, Rajpal spoke about his days in the jail. He said, "When asked about his days in jail, Yadav turns reflective rather than descriptive. "For me every day is a new beginning a new learning day, and a working day. Tihar jail is the mother of all jail. A lot of visionaries have been in that jail, as an actor, I just ensured I observed. I do think a few people inside do deserve another chance at life. I saw such energy inside everyone. I was eating the same food, that was made for everyone. I didn’t even demand for one extra roti. I wanted to experience everything from cleaning sweeping to everything. I just want the High Court to hear my points. I want to present and if I'm wrong then send me back to the jail, I respect that.”