He carried wife's dead body on his shoulders after daughter's birth, worked as tailor, now a top actor

Rajpal Yadav, from the small town of Kulara in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, faced challenges early in life when he was unable to join the army due to his height. Undeterred by this setback, he began working as a tailor in a factory.

While talking about his job in an interview, Rajpal mentioned, "While talking about his first job, Rajpal Yadav said, "When I got the job, my family members were very happy. As it happens in the village, as soon as one gets a job, the family members start worrying about marriage. My father also fixed my marriage." 

In 1991, Rajpal Yadav faced a devastating loss when he was informed that his wife had died after giving birth to their daughter while he was away. Speaking about his first wife to Lallantop, he shared, "Back then, if you were a 20-year-old man with a job, families would rush to get you married. My father arranged my marriage. My first wife had just delivered a baby girl when she passed away. I was supposed to meet her the next day, but instead, I found myself carrying her dead body. Fortunately, my family—my mother and sister-in-law—ensured that my daughter never felt the absence of her mother; she grew up surrounded by love."

Finding solace in theater, Rajpal Yadav's life took a positive turn. After graduating from Bharatendu Natya Academy and the National School of Drama, he entered the film industry in 1999. Although his first film went largely unnoticed, it was his performance in Ram Gopal Varma's Jungle that marked the beginning of his successful acting career.

Rajpal Yadav's breakthrough came in 2003 with Priyadarshan's Hungama, which established him as a comedy star. Over the years, he demonstrated his acting talent in over 200 films, becoming a beloved figure in Bollywood. Despite facing early challenges, Rajpal found happiness in his second marriage to Radha and now lives contentedly in Mumbai with his two daughters.

Later in 2003, the actor got married to his now-wife Radha. While talking about his second wife, he said, “I have never asked my wife to wear saree or anything. The way I talk to my mother, my wife talks to her the same way. She learnt the language, one day when I reached the village, I saw that woh muh dhak ke baithi hui hai (she covered her face and sat there), because in villages women live a certain way. Whenever she visits the village–during Holi and Diwali–no one can gauge that she knows five languages!... After my guru, my parents, the one who supported me the most is my wife, 100 percent. Radha also raised the daughter I had from my first wife, as her own. She is in Lucknow today, happily married but the credit goes to my family and wife. I did nothing, I was just a medium, everything came along and helped.”

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