'Utne Hi Paise Lautane Padenge...': Netizens Slam Journalist Saurabh Dwivedi For Debt Joke On Rajpal Yadav At Mumbai Award Show - VIDEO

· Free Press Journal

Actor Rajpal Yadav shared a humorous moment at the Chetak Screen Awards 2026 when journalist Saurabh Dwivedi jokingly brought up the actor’s financial troubles during a live interaction. The playful exchange left the audience in splits, including Devendra Fadnavis, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

The light-hearted moment came just months after Rajpal faced legal issues related to a cheque bounce case, which briefly landed him in Tihar Jail before he was granted interim bail. Despite the sensitive context, the actor handled the situation with humour at the star-studded awards ceremony.

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Dig at Rajpal Yadav

During the on-stage conversation, Rajpal spoke about the chaos in the world and fluctuating currencies in a philosophical tone. He said, “I was thinking that these days the world seems to be filled with smoke everywhere. There are so many wars going on, so I keep wondering where to sit and where to think. The rupee and the dollar keep fluctuating so much that it becomes difficult to understand anything. So I just sit quietly and keep saying ‘peace, peace.’”

Responding to this remark, Dwivedi jokingly reminded the actor about his dues, saying, “Rajpal bhai, no matter how much the dollar and rupee fluctuate, aapko utne hi paise lautane padenge jitne udhaar hain (You will still have to repay exactly the amount of money you owe).”

The comment triggered laughter across the venue, with Devendra Fadnavis and many other actors seen smiling at the exchange. Rajpal also burst into laughter and replied in a playful tone, “At least hear the full masala once.”

Comedian Zakir Khan, who was one of the hosts of the evening, then stepped in and tried to lighten the moment further by suggesting that the matter be left to the courts. He said, “I think since the matter is in court, we should let it remain there.”

Netizens criticise Dwivedi

Rajpal eventually laughed off the entire conversation, brushing aside the teasing and keeping the mood cheerful during the awards night. However, soon after the video surfaced online, a section of netizens criticised Dwivedi.

Here's how they reacted:

In February this year, Rajpal surrendered in a cheque bounce case, and he spent around 12 days in Tihar jail before getting an interim bail from the Delhi High Court.

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