The case against Rajpal Yadav

The legal battle stems from the financing of Rajpal Yadav’s debut production Ata Pata Laapata. The dispute dates back to 2010, when Rajpal Yadav secured Rs 5 crore from Murali Projects Pvt Ltd for the film. The film failed commercially, and the repayment dispute eventually led to multiple cheque dishonour cases.

A trial court convicted the actor in 2018 under the cheque bounce provisions, a decision that was upheld in 2019. Earlier this year, Rajpal surrendered before the Delhi High Court after failing to fulfil settlement commitments. He later secured interim relief after depositing Rs 1.5 crore.

In Friday’s order, the High Court directed Rajpal to pay Rs 1.05 crore in each case to the complainant, besides Rs 25,000 to the State. His wife, Radha Yadav, has also been directed to pay Rs 5.51 lakh in each case. The court clarified that the Rs 2.25 crore already deposited by the actor will be adjusted against the final amount.

‘It all started with a dream’

Speaking in March after coming out of jail, Rajpal recalled how Ata Pata Laapata was born during one of the most difficult phases of the Hindi film industry.

“It all started in 2005. I had a friend called Mithilesh Kumar who used to keep visiting me in Mumbai. I was busy with cinema. In 2008, there was a recession in India. I had 10-12 films on the floor, and all of them got delayed. There was a six-month-long strike, everyone was out of work, money was stuck in the market, so our group decided to make something with theatre artists. We decided to make a film called Ata Pata Laapata.”

According to Rajpal, his friend Mithilesh introduced him to businessman Madhav Gopal, who expressed interest in investing in the project.

“Mithilesh had been telling me for 4-5 years that he wanted to invest. In 2010, he introduced me to Madhav Gopalji. He came to Mumbai, watched around 70 per cent of the film and offered to invest Rs 5 crore. He proposed that after the film’s release, I would repay Rs 8 crore. I agreed, and an agreement was signed in July 2010. Later, two more agreements were signed.”

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‘He stopped the film before it could release’

According to Rajpal, the relationship with investor Madhav Gopal began to deteriorate around the film’s music launch in September 2011. Speaking at the press conference, he claimed that Madhav was upset about not being present at the event, which was attended by Amitabh Bachchan. Rajpal said the two had an argument the following day and that he sensed their equation had changed.

“Before the film could be released, he obtained a stay order against it, even though the payment date was only due in February the following year. The High Court later allowed me to release the film, and I gave him post-dated cheques.”

“Just when we were promoting the film, he held a press conference in Mumbai, called me a fraud and accused me of cheating him. PVR was supposed to release the film, Amitabh Bachchan had come for the music launch, and more than 20 people had invested in the film. I had invested Rs 10-12 crore myself, but I never understood why he invested Rs 5 crore.”

‘Within 24 hours, the film was out of theatres’

Rajpal believes the controversy sealed the fate of his film.

“One day after the music launch, issues began, and he destroyed the film one day before it was supposed to release. In the High Court, he showed that I had taken a loan. At the press conference, he branded me a fraud and created a narrative that the entire industry was against me.”

He claimed the film’s theatrical rollout collapsed almost overnight.

“We had booked 1,000-1,200 screens through PVR, but the film couldn’t release on even 200 screens. I even shifted the release from October to November. Within 24 hours, Ata Pata Laapata was out of theatres. I got permission to sell the film after a year, but who would buy it after so long?”

‘Rs 5 crore put Rs 22 crore at stake’

Rajpal also spoke about the financial toll the dispute took on everyone associated with the project.

“I don’t intend to sell the film anymore. I’m getting two-minute clips edited and will release them on social media so people can see where the money went. We didn’t bring 2,500 people through CGI; they were real artistes. Around Rs 20-22 crore went into making the film. I had mortgaged my land and taken a bank loan. But Rs 5 crore put Rs 20-22 crore at stake.”

The actor said the losses extended beyond him.

“Even if he was angry, he should have allowed the film to release. There were nearly 200 artistes in that film. Other investors also suffered because of me. Some eventually got their money back, some supported me, and some faced losses. In a syndicate of around 25 investors, one person’s Rs 5 crore put everyone in trouble.”

About Ata Pata Laapata

Released on November 2, 2012, Ata Pata Laapata was a satirical social drama that marked Rajpal Yadav’s debut as a producer. Directed by Rajpal himself and produced by his wife, Radha Yadav, under Shree Naurang Godavari Entertainment Ltd, a banner named after the actor’s parents, the film revolved around a man whose house mysteriously disappears. As he turns to the legal system for help, he unexpectedly becomes the prime suspect, setting the stage for a satire on bureaucracy, corruption and the justice system.

The film featured an ensemble cast including Om Puri, Asrani, Ashutosh Rana, Dara Singh, Manoj Joshi, Govind Namdev, Vikram Gokhale, Vijay Raaz, Mukesh Tiwari, Yashpal Sharma, Sharat Saxena, Zakir Hussain, Satyadev Dubey and Rajpal Yadav.