Summary of this article
Salman Khan came out in support of Rajpal Yadav after an awards show host took a dig at his cheque-bounce case.
Reacting to the message, Yadav expressed gratitude for the superstar's support and encouragement.
At the recently held Chetak Screen Awards, the host took a jibe at Yadav over his Rs 9 crore cheque bounce case.
The Chetak Screen Awards 2026, hosted by Alia Bhatt, Farah Khan, Sunil Grover, Zakir Khan and Saurabh Dwivedi, was held on Sunday (April 5). It was a star-studded event with prominent Bollywood celebs in attendance. Rajpal Yadav, who was recently in the Tihar Jail because of his cheque bounce case, also attended the ceremony. The award ceremony landed into controversy after Dwivedi took a jibe at Yadav's cheque-bounce case, which did not go down well with many social media users, slamming the host and the awards show.
Rajpal Yadav took to social media to address the controversy and urged his fans not to criticise the hosts. He also thanked Salman Khan for extending support to him.
Rajpal Yadav urges fans not to criticise Saurabh Dwivedi
He released a new video on his X (formerly Twitter) account to address the matter. “Hello, everyone. I had the honour of attending the Chetak Screen Awards a few days ago. There, I met with many from the industry; there were lots of performances and skits, and an amazing vibe overall. During one of the skits, I was in conversation with Saurabh Dwivedi and Zakir Khan about the world economy, war, and how common people see it. It was the general idea of the presentation.”
“Sometimes it happens in films too, we design one scene with something in mind but the meaning does not reach the audience in the same way. This is cinema!,” he added.
Yadav also said Saurabh and Zakir are like brothers to him and they have always respected him.
He asked his fans not to criticise or hurt Saurabh. “If you hurt him, you will hurt me. I love Saurabh, I love Zakir. I love you all. I am here because of you all. Thank you,” he said further.
Salman Khan supports Rajpal Yadav
Amid the online backlash, Salman Khan came out in support of Yadav.
"Rajpal bhai aap 30 yrs se kaam kar rahe ho aur hum sabne aapko repeat kiya hai baar baar kyunki aap apna kaam jante ho aur ek value laate ho, kaam toh aapko bohot milega aur issi dollar rate pe milega aur milte rahega. Hakikat yeh hai .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 (sic)," Salman wrote on X.
Expressing gratitude for the support from the superstar, the actor wrote, "Bhai, mere 30 saal ke safar ko sarahne ke liye bahut-bahut shukriya. Aap hamesha ek bade bhai ki tarah raasta dikhate aaye hain. Love you, Bhai, Naman."
What happened between Saurabh Dwivedi and Rajpal Yadav
At the awards ceremony, when Rajpal spoke about the chaos around fluctuating currencies, Saurabh reminded the actor of his own debts. "Rajpal bhai, no matter how much the dollar and rupee fluctuate, aapko utne hi paise lautane padenge jitne udhaar hain (You will anyway have to return the due amount)," he said.
Rajpal started laughing and said, “Masla toh sun lo ek baar (Listen to my issue once).”
About Rajpal Yadav cheque bounce case
Rajpal was sent to Tihar Jail in connection with a Rs 9 crore debt and cheque bounce case in February. He was granted interim bail on February 16. Later, the Delhi High Court also clarified that the actor would not be taken back into custody.
