Priyadarshan: ‘Told my producers to pay Rajpal more than his fee’

Rajpal Yadav

In the days since Rajpal Yadav was sent to Tihar Jail in connection with a Rs 9 crore debt and cheque bounce case, many in the Hindi film industry have offered financial help to the actor. The latest to extend support is Priyadarshan. The filmmaker, whose next is a comedy starring Pankaj Tripathi and Yadav, revealed that the makers have hiked the actor's fee, in light of the current situation.

A still from ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa'

When mid-day reached out to Priyadarshan, he said, "I have known Rajpal for over 20 years." The director, who was neck-deep in the post-production of Bhooth Bangla in Hyderabad, added, "I saw him for the first time in Jungle [2000] and was surprised by his performance. My first film with him was Malamaal Weekly [2006], and after that, he has starred in most of my films. I told the producers [Jubilee Films] of my next 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

Yadav reportedly borrowed Rs 5 crore in 2010 to finance his directorial venture, Ata Pata Laapata (2012). With the film failing at the box office, the unpaid dues over the years apparently escalated to nearly Rs 9 crore.

As one of Yadav's close associates, Priyadarshan was aware of his financial distress. "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."