A group of school children from a gurukul in Uttar Pradesh’s Shahjahanpur district have expressed disappointment after comedian-actor Rajpal Yadav did not meet or respond to them following his release from jail — despite their earlier gesture of financial support during his incarceration.
The episode has come to light after a 29-second video featuring nearly 40 students from Gurukul Seva Trust went viral on social media. In the clip, the children address the actor directly, congratulating him on his release and asking why he had not acknowledged the help they had sent.
According to school authorities, the students had collectively gathered money from their pocket expenses as a symbolic show of solidarity when Yadav was in jail. The children filled a piggy bank with their savings and, along with an emotional handwritten letter, posted it to the actor’s ancestral village address in Kundra on February 21.
Kumar Sagar, chairman of the Gurukul Seva Trust school, told PTI that the amount was collected voluntarily by the students, with some additional contribution added before dispatch. The gesture, he said, was entirely initiated by the children, who wanted to stand by someone they admired during a difficult phase.
In the widely circulated video, the students can be heard saying, “Namaste Rajpal bhaiya, we have learnt that you have returned home after being released from jail. Congratulations to you. We all want to meet you and know whether you received the help we sent. If you did, why did you not respond to our letter? We are upset with you.”
The children further added that even if a personal meeting was not possible, the actor could have at least spoken to them over the phone. Their appeal has struck a chord online, with many social media users praising their compassion while urging the actor to respond.
Speaking to PTI over the phone, Yadav said he had only recently returned home and had not yet been able to properly spend time with his family members. He added that he was currently in the process of gathering details about individuals and groups who had extended support to him during his legal troubles.
Addressing the children’s request, Yadav initially said he had been informed they were from an orphanage. “As far as meeting the children is concerned, I was told they were from an orphanage. In my view, if children have an ashram, they are not orphans,” he remarked.
When informed that the students were from a gurukul school and not an orphanage, the actor clarified his position. Emphasising his respect for the traditional guru-shishya system, he said, “I am a person who believes in the guru tradition, and all those children are my own. I will definitely meet them, hug them and take photographs with them.”
Yadav, known for his comic performances in Hindi cinema, was reportedly jailed after failing to repay a Rs 5 crore loan taken in 2010 from Murli Projects Private Limited for his film Ata Pata Lapata. Following legal proceedings over the unpaid amount, he was sent to jail. It was during this period that the students decided to send their savings as a token of encouragement and moral support.
Hailing from Shahjahanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav has built a career as a popular character actor in Bollywood, often remembered for his comedic timing and memorable supporting roles. For the children at Gurukul Seva Trust, their act of kindness was rooted in admiration and empathy.
While the actor has now assured that he intends to meet them, the children’s viral video underscores the emotional significance of their gesture. For them, the issue is not the money they sent, but the hope for acknowledgement from someone they looked up to.
As of now, the promised meeting is still awaited, and many are watching to see whether the actor will soon turn his assurance into action.