Indore: Months after Nalin Yadav, a comedian who was arrested along with comedian Munawar Faruqui, and spent 57 days in jail, now toils as a daily-wage labourer to make ends meet.
Yadav was arrested by Indore police along with four others on the complaint filed by Eklavya Singh Gaud, son of BJP MP, for making indecent remarks against Hindu deities during his comic show in the city.
After being granted bail on February 26, Yadav now works as labour for merely Rs 200 per day, in Pithampur of Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district, Hindustan Times reported.
Yadav decided to take up comedy at a very young age, for he was always appreciated for his sense of humour as a child. “But now, after years of hard work in this field, I am left with nothing, but to do petty jobs to make ends meet,” he said in an interview.
Yadav expressed his despair on how people have been acting in his tough times, that forced him to sacrifice his dreams.
“In the past 25 days, hardly anyone called me to know my condition. Neighbours saw me as if I am a dreaded criminal or some obscene person,” Yadav said.
Even a few friends, who helped his brother in collecting money for bail, refused to help him anymore, Yadav added.
On the fateful day, Yadav performed an opening act ahead of Faruqui for five minutes. When Faruqui took to the stage, Yadav recalls, a few people tried to create ruckus and attack him. “While most of the audience ran away, we five decided to stick together to keep the tradition of comedy alive in the city.”
After all that has been transpired, Nalin Yadav is not sure whether he would continue in the city or not. “I am afraid of losing my confidence, facing people and having doubt on my words that spread smiles on the faces of people for five years,” he said.