Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav is facing severe financial and legal trouble tied to an old loan and multiple cheque bounce cases. The situation began in 2010, when he and his wife borrowed around ₹5 crore to fund his directorial film Ata Pata Laapata. The movie failed at the box office, leaving him unable to repay the loan. Over years, bounced cheques and unpaid dues led to seven separate cheque bounce cases and a court conviction under the Negotiable Instruments Act. By 2026, interest and penalties swelled his liability to roughly ₹9 crore, and the Delhi High Court refused further extensions for repayment, ordering him to surrender to serve a six-month sentence at Tihar Jail because he genuinely could not clear the dues. 
Yadav has spoken openly about his lack of funds, saying he has no money and no friends to turn to for help.  Support has trickled in from outside the courts: actor Sonu Sood publicly offered him a role and a signing amount to help him financially, while others including Gurmeet Choudhary urged the industry to support him.  Politician Tej Pratap Yadav also announced ₹11 lakh in direct financial aid to help his family during this crisis. 
The case highlights long-standing financial risks in film production, Yadav’s personal struggles, and mixed responses from colleagues and supporters as he works to move past this legal and monetary ordeal.
