Priyadarshan clarifies 'poor education' remark on Rajpal Yadav was about exposure, not schooling: 'He was never hurt or worried'
ETimes | March 30, 2026 3:39 AM CST
Filmmaker Priyadarshan has addressed the controversy surrounding his “education” remark about Rajpal Yadav , clarifying that his comment was misunderstood and was never meant to question the actor’s academic background.
The remark had sparked debate earlier, especially at a time when Rajpal Yadav was in the news for his Rs 9 crore cheque-bounce case and legal troubles.
Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Priyadarshan explained his stance and insisted that there was no offence caused.
‘It was a misunderstanding’Addressing whether Rajpal was hurt, Priyadarshan said, “No, not at all. In fact, we spoke about it recently. It was a slight misunderstanding.”
He went on to clarify what he meant by the statement. “I had said ‘village education,’ meaning exposure—not formal education. A person who grows up in a village has a very different kind of exposure compared to someone from a metro city.”
‘It’s about life experience, not degrees’Elaborating further, the director said the comment was rooted in differences in upbringing. “There is a huge difference between someone from a village or small town and someone from a metro. People from villages are often more innocent and trusting because they grow up in an environment where everyone helps each other.”
“In contrast, in a metro city, you are more aware of the kind of people around you—good and bad—right from childhood,” he added.
Priyadarshan reiterated that his observation was not about academics. “Not at all. I was not referring to schooling or degrees. I was talking about life experience—what you learn from your surroundings and upbringing.”
‘He understood it completely’Putting to rest any speculation of a fallout, the filmmaker maintained that there was no tension between the two. “Yes, he understood it completely. He was never hurt or worried about it.”
Priyadarshan and Rajpal Yadav have collaborated on several popular comedies over the years. Their upcoming film Bhooth Bangla , a much-awaited horror-comedy starring Akshay Kumar, has seen a change in its release plans and will now hit theatres on April 17, instead of its earlier scheduled date of April 10.
The remark had sparked debate earlier, especially at a time when Rajpal Yadav was in the news for his Rs 9 crore cheque-bounce case and legal troubles.
Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Priyadarshan explained his stance and insisted that there was no offence caused.
‘It was a misunderstanding’Addressing whether Rajpal was hurt, Priyadarshan said, “No, not at all. In fact, we spoke about it recently. It was a slight misunderstanding.”
He went on to clarify what he meant by the statement. “I had said ‘village education,’ meaning exposure—not formal education. A person who grows up in a village has a very different kind of exposure compared to someone from a metro city.”
‘It’s about life experience, not degrees’Elaborating further, the director said the comment was rooted in differences in upbringing. “There is a huge difference between someone from a village or small town and someone from a metro. People from villages are often more innocent and trusting because they grow up in an environment where everyone helps each other.”
“In contrast, in a metro city, you are more aware of the kind of people around you—good and bad—right from childhood,” he added.
Priyadarshan reiterated that his observation was not about academics. “Not at all. I was not referring to schooling or degrees. I was talking about life experience—what you learn from your surroundings and upbringing.”
‘He understood it completely’Putting to rest any speculation of a fallout, the filmmaker maintained that there was no tension between the two. “Yes, he understood it completely. He was never hurt or worried about it.”
Priyadarshan and Rajpal Yadav have collaborated on several popular comedies over the years. Their upcoming film Bhooth Bangla , a much-awaited horror-comedy starring Akshay Kumar, has seen a change in its release plans and will now hit theatres on April 17, instead of its earlier scheduled date of April 10.
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