Salman Khan Backs Rajpal Yadav After Awards Joke Backlash

Mumbai, India – Bollywood superstar Salman Khan publicly backed veteran actor Rajpal Yadav on Tuesday following backlash over a joke at the Screen Awards that referenced Yadav's ongoing financial legal troubles.

The incident unfolded on April 5 during the awards ceremony in Mumbai, where journalist Saurabh Dwivedi, hosting alongside comedian Zakir Khan, engaged Yadav in a lighthearted segment about economic fluctuations. Yadav remarked on the ups and downs of the rupee and dollar, prompting Dwivedi to quip, "Rajpal bhai, dollar kitna bhi upar neeche ho jaye, aapko utne hi paise lautane padenge, jitne udhar hai." The comment, translating to "no matter how high or low the dollar goes, you'll have to return exactly the amount you borrowed," drew laughter from the audience, including Yadav, but quickly sparked online criticism for its perceived insensitivity toward his cheque bounce case.

Khan, a longtime collaborator with Yadav, addressed the controversy on X, formerly Twitter, praising the actor's three-decade career. "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," Khan wrote. "Kaam toh...