Mumbai, Apr 7: Superstar Salman Khan on Tuesday came out in support of Rajpal Yadav after a joke over the comedian’s financial troubles during an awards ceremony stirred up a media storm.
Yadav on Sunday night attended the Chetak Screen Awards, where host Saurabh Dwivedi made a remark about the actor’s Rs 9 crore cheque bounce case, which led to him being jailed briefly. The clip of the exchange has since gone viral on social media.
Khan tagged Rajpal’s official handle and said the veteran actor had been working in the industry for nearly 30 years and had repeatedly been sought out by filmmakers because of the value he brings to his craft.
“Kaam toh aapko bohot milega aur issi dollar rate pe milega aur milte rahega. Hakikat yeh hai (Work will keep coming your way, and at the dollar rate only. And that’s the reality),” he wrote.
“Aur yeh yaad rakhna ke kabhi kabhi flow mai kuch nikal aata hai, dena hi hai toh dimag mai rakho dil se kaam karo, dollar upar ho ya neeche kya farak padta hai dena toh India mai hi hai @rajpalofficial (Remember, sometimes things are said in the flow. You do have to give (back) (don’t reply), keep it in mind and work from the heart. Whether the dollar goes up or down, how does it matter, the payment is happening in India only),” he added.
Yadav, who featured alongside Khan in films such “Mujhse Shaadi Karogi” and “Partner”, was jailed in February after the Delhi High Court rejected his plea for more time in a cheque bounce case linked to a Rs 5 crore loan, which now stands at Rs 9 crore, for his 2012 film “Ata Pata Laapata”. He spent nearly 13 days in Tihar Jail before getting interim bail.
At the awards ceremony, which was co-hosted by Dwivedi and comedian Zakir Khan, Yadav spoke about the ongoing oil crisis due to US-Israel’s war on Iran and how it has led to global currency fluctuations.
To this, Dwivedi remarked, “Rajpal bhai, dollar-rupya kitna bhi upar neeche ho, aapko utne hi paise lautane padenge jitne udhaar hain (Rajpal Bhai, no matter what happens to dollar-rupee, you will have to return every penny you owe).”
The actor brushed off the comment with a smile and said, “Masla toh sun lo ek baar. Main toh masla hi sunana chahta hoon.”
While Yadav was praised on social media for handling the situation with grace, Dwivedi faced criticism for his remark.
Yadav, however, came out in Dwivedi’s defence and asked people to not criticise the journalist.
“Saurabh and Zakir are like my younger brothers. They have always given me respect. They are our pride. We, artists, journalists and storytellers are always connected to each other. And Saurabh made everyone in the auditorium to stand up and clap for me.
“Don’t criticise him or write anything bad about him… don’t hurt his heart. Hurting him is equal to hurting my heart. If you write anything bad about Saurabh, then I will feel hurt. I love Saurabh, I love Zakir and I love you all,” the actor said in a video on X. (Agencies)
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