Rajpal Yadav marks 20 years of Bajey, thanks fans for keeping the character alive

Actor Rajpal Yadav marked a nostalgic milestone this week as the comedy film Malamaal Weekly completed twenty years since its theatrical release. The film, directed by Priyadarshan, first reached cinemas in 2006 and later gained a loyal following on television and streaming. On Tuesday, Rajpal acknowledged the moment on social media and thanked viewers who still remember his character Bajey.

To mark the occasion, the actor shared a short video montage on Instagram. The clip featured several comic moments from the film, including scenes that had become widely circulated among fans over the years. Along with the video, Rajpal wrote a message reflecting on the journey of the film and the affection audiences continue to show today as well online.

Rajpal kept the message simple and emotional. He wrote, “Yakeen nahi ho raha ki 20 saal ho gaye! Bajey ko aur film ko itna pyar dene ke liye aap sabka dil se shukriya (sic)”. The actors note quickly drew reactions from followers, many of whom recalled their favourite scenes and dialogues from the film again this week online and elsewhere.

Malamaal Weekly featured an ensemble cast that included Paresh Rawal, Om Puri, Riteish Deshmukh, Rajpal Yadav and Asrani. The story followed Lilaram, a lottery ticket seller in the fictional village of Laholi. When one of his tickets wins a huge jackpot, a chaotic plan unfolds as villagers attempt to claim the prize leading to confusion humour and several unexpected twists.

The film was loosely inspired by the 1998 Irish comedy Waking Ned. Over the years the story travelled across languages. Telugu audiences saw a version titled Bhagyalakshmi Bumper Draw in 2006, while Kannada cinema adapted it as Dakota Picture in 2012. Malayalam viewers later watched another interpretation titled Aamayum Muyalum in 2014 bringing the same quirky village premise to new.

Written by Aishwarya Kaushik, the Hindi film was narrated by actor Naseeruddin Shah. It was produced by Percept Picture Company and Sahara One Motion Pictures. Cinematography was handled by Sameer Arya, while editing was done by N Gopalakrishnan and Arun Kumar. Even two decades later, the comedy continues to find viewers on television and digital platforms across India and beyond.