Bollywood star Salman Khan has publicly backed comedian-actor Rajpal Yadav following a controversy over a past financial dispute and a viral remark at an award show.

Rajpal Yadav has faced a long-running legal and financial case dating back to 2010, when he borrowed Rs50 million to produce his film Ata Pata Laapata. The film failed at the box office, leaving the loan unpaid.

After cheque bounce charges and submitting a false affidavit in court, he served a three-month sentence in Delhi’s Tihar Jail in 2018. With interest and penalties, the outstanding amount has risen to approximately Rs90 million.

The issue resurfaced during an award show in Mumbai on April 5, 2026, when journalist and host Saurabh Dwivedi made a remark referencing the debt while Yadav was speaking about global currencies.

“Rajpal bhai! Dollar aur rupee kitna hi upar neeche ho jaye, aapko utne hi paise lautane padenge jitne aapne udhaar liye hain.”

(Brother Rajpal! No matter how much the dollar or rupee goes up or down, you will still have to repay the same amount of money that you borrowed.)

The comment drew criticism online, with many calling it disrespectful.

Khan responded with a supportive message, praising Yadav’s three-decade career and encouraging him to stay focused on his work.

“Rajpal bhai, aap 30 saal se kaam kar rahe hain… kaam toh aapko bahut milega… dollar upar ho ya neeche, kya farq padta hai? Dena toh India mein hi hai.”

(Brother Rajpal, you’ve been working for 30 years… you’ll keep getting plenty of work… whether the dollar goes up or down, what difference does it make? You have to repay it in India anyway.)

Yadav thanked Khan for his support, calling him a guiding figure in his career.

As the controversy grew, Yadav released a video statement urging fans not to troll Dwivedi or comedian Zakir Khan.

He revealed the segment had been pre-planned with them and said the message had been misunderstood.

He asked supporters not to post abusive comments, saying hurting Dwivedi would be like hurting him.

Despite past financial and legal troubles, Yadav’s career remains active. He is set to appear alongside Akshay Kumar in the upcoming film Bhoot Bangla, directed by Priyadarshan.

Priyadarshan has praised Yadav as one of Bollywood’s “most innocent actors,” signalling continued industry support for the veteran performer.