The Film That Sank Rajpal Yadav: 170 Actors, Om Puri to Asrani, All in “Ata Pata Lapata”

Bollywood actor Rajpal Yadav faced a career and personal crisis after producing and directing the 2012 film “Ata Pata Lapata”, a project that ultimately led to his financial and legal troubles, including time in jail. The film, which featured an ensemble of 170 actors, including theater veterans and stars like Om Puri, Asrani, Ashutosh Rana, Manoj Joshi, Govind Namdev, Dara Singh, Vikram Gokhale, Vijay Raj, and Satyadev Dubey, was an ambitious attempt that unfortunately backfired.

A Bold Experiment in Filmmaking

Speaking candidly on his production house’s YouTube channel, Rajpal Yadav described “Ata Pata Lapata” as a unique experiment in cinema. “This was a film unlike anything else—2–4 actors wouldn’t suffice; we had 170 performers. For the first time, music was in the foreground, and drama played out in the background,” he said.

He added that his goal was to create meaningful, purposeful, and entertaining cinema without following Bollywood or Hollywood templates. “After 25 years in theater and acting on streets, alleys, and prosceniums, I wanted to craft something substantial. Ata Pata Lapata was an attempt to present a new chapter of that vision,” he explained.

The Story Behind the Title

Rajpal Yadav revealed that the quirky title of the film came about casually. “A costume designer friend suggested Ata Pata Lapata in jest. Initially, we considered other names, but once this title came up, we decided to stick with it. The aim was to find a new address in cinema,” he said.

Plot Overview

The story follows Manav Chaturvedi (played by Rajpal Yadav), who reports all his household belongings missing to the police. One night, his house mysteriously disappears from a construction site. As he seeks legal help, he becomes a suspect himself, with allegations that he destroyed his own property to claim insurance. The plot explores flaws in administration, bureaucracy, and the behavior of those in power, blending social commentary with comedy and drama.

Financial Troubles and Legal Battle

The film’s production began in 2010 when Rajpal Yadav secured ₹5 crore from M/s Murali Projects Pvt Ltd, with a repayment agreement of ₹8 crore including interest. Despite his efforts, the film failed commercially, leaving Rajpal unable to repay the financiers. Consequently, legal action was taken against him for bounced checks, leading to his current imprisonment in Tihar Jail.

Commenting on the debt in an interview with LallanTop, Rajpal stated, “The money wasn’t borrowed in the traditional sense; it was invested. The financiers wanted to launch their grandson as a hero.”

Support from Industry Colleagues

Despite his hardships, Rajpal has received support from fans and colleagues. Bollywood actors and public figures including Sonu Sood, Tej Pratap Yadav, KRK, Gurmeet Choudhary, and Rao Inderjit Singh Yadav have extended help to him during this difficult period.

Rajpal Yadav’s experience with “Ata Pata Lapata” serves as a cautionary tale of ambition, risk, and the unpredictable nature of the film industry—highlighting the thin line between creative experimentation and financial peril.