Actor Rajpal Yadav told the Supreme Court on October 7 that his next film, Solah Sawan Jhel Ke, draws from his 16-year legal ordeal. During the cheque-bounce case hearing, he said, “Yeh Merchant of Venice wala case hai, huzoor.” He also shared how financial losses impacted his career since 2013.
Actor Rajpal Yadav had a light-hearted moment with Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant during a Supreme Court hearing on October 7, as he revealed the title of a film inspired by his long-running legal and financial troubles. Yadav said the film will be titled Solah Sawan Jhel Ke, referring to the 16 years he has spent dealing with the dispute.
Yadav personally addressed the Supreme Court during the hearing of his cheque-bounce case and spoke at length about his career, the financial losses he suffered and the controversy surrounding his 2012 film Ata Pata Laapata.
According to Bar and Bench report, during the hearing, CJI Surya Kant asked the actor, “Kuch naya bana rahe ho nahi?” (Aren’t you making anything new?)
Responding, Yadav began by greeting the Chief Justice and then spoke about his career and the losses he claimed to have suffered over the years.
“Sir, pranam karta hoon. Do-dhai sau filmein ki hain. Pichhle 13 saal mein do-dhai sau crore ka nuksaan bhi kar chuka hoon. Ata Pata Laapata mein mera Rs 17 crore dooba (Sir, my respects. I have made around 250 films. In the last 13 years, I have also suffered losses of around Rs 250 crore. Rs 17 crore of my money was lost in Ata Pata Laapata),” Yadav said.
He went on to describe the dispute as a “Merchant of Venice wala case” and said that while the amount at the centre of the dispute was Rs 5 crore, he believed it had resulted in much larger financial losses for him.
"Yeh Merchant of Venice wala case hai, huzoor. Chaho jab chaho, jahan bhej do, main har samay ready hoon. Lekin total Rs 22 crore tha. Rs 5 crore ne mere Rs 17 crore ko 2013 se mitti mein mila diya aur ek rupaya nahin kamane diya 9 (This is like the Merchant of Venice case, sir. Whenever you want, wherever you want to send me, I am always ready. But the total amount was Rs 22 crore. That Rs 5 crore swallowed up my Rs 17 crore, burying it since 2013 and not allowing me to earn even a single rupee)," he said.
Yadav also claimed that a press conference was held against him and that his film's release was affected. According to the actor, Ata Pata Laapata was supposed to release in 1,200 theatres but could not release in even one theatre.
Rajpal Yadav reveals film title in court
Yadav then said that the events of the past 16 years had affected his branding and reputation. Recalling his interactions with the person involved in the dispute, he said, “2012 mein mere dost the. Bole, main hazaar-dedh hazaar crore ka aadmi hoon, Rs 5 crore kahan aata hai, kahan jaata hai. Geeta ki kasam khilwa lijiye. Phir bole, ab tumhe Court mein ragadunga (In 2012, he was my friend. He said, “I’m a man worth Rs 1,000–1,500 crore. Where does Rs 5 crore come from or go? Make me swear on the Gita.” Then he said, “Now I’ll drag you through the court).”
He added that while he had been dealing with the Rs 5 crore issue, he believed the dispute had ultimately cost him much more.
Yadav said that he had been ready to pay the Rs 5 crore back in 2012, but that the Rs 5 crore had ended up sinking his Rs 22 crore. He added that over the past 16 years, his branding had been destroyed and he had suffered reputational damage. He said that he had been entertaining everyone for 16 years.
The exchange then took a lighter turn when CJI Surya Kant told him, “Ek achchi si movie bana ke logon ko entertain karo” (Make a good movie and entertain people).
Yadav responded with a title he said he had already thought of for a film based on his experiences between 2010 and 2026.
“Sir, 2010 se 2026 tak jo hua, uska title bhi humne socha hai, Solah Sawan Jhel Ke (Sir, I have even thought of a title for everything that happened from 2010 to 2026: Solah Sawan Jhel Ke,” he said.
The title, which translates roughly to “having endured 16 monsoons”, drew attention because of its reference to the prolonged legal and financial troubles Yadav described during the hearing.
The actor has been involved in the cheque-bounce dispute for several years, with the matter continuing in court since the early 2010s. During Wednesday's hearing, however, his interaction with the Chief Justice offered a rare lighter moment amid the legal proceedings.
SC accepts Rajpal's proposal to sell ancestral property to clear dues
The Supreme Court accepted actor Rajpal Yadav’s proposal to sell his ancestral property to clear the dues linked to a cheque-bounce case on Wednesday. A bench comprising CJI Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana also noted that Yadav had made arrangements to pay Rs 2 crore immediately through demand drafts.
Yadav submitted demand drafts worth Rs 1.15 crore, while the remaining Rs 85 lakh is to be paid by a prospective buyer of his property by October 12.
The Supreme Court took note of these arrangements and said it would decide a schedule for the payment of the remaining amount.