EXCLUSIVE: Rajpal Yadav Reveals How Chhota Pandit’s Iconic Agarbatti Look Was Born On Bhool Bhulaiyaa Sets; Says, “Sabko Gudgudane Ke Liye Tha”

Comedy icon Rajpal Yadav has delivered several memorable performances over the years. Among all his characters, fans continue to adore him as Chhota Pandit from the Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan cult horror-comedy Bhool Bhulaiyaa. The quirky agarbatti look from the film became one of the most iconic comedy looks in Bollywood. Now, in an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Bubble, Rajpal Yadav revealed how the famous look was created on the sets and why he handled the character with extreme sensitivity and respect towards religion. Scroll on to know what the actor had to share.

Rajpal Yadav On Chhota Pandit’s Iconic Agarbatti Look In Bhool Bhulaiyaa

Talking about Chhota Pandit and the idea behind the character, Rajpal Yadav said, “Chhota Pandit joh tha, woh pehli baat maaniye Bharat Muni ke Natyashastra mein alag-alag bahut saare characters ki kalpana ki gayi hai. Usme ek vidushak hota hai. Jo nat bolte hain, vidushak hota hai, woh bada funny hota hai. Aur vidushak yeh hota hai ki woh apni darbaar mein mazaak banwata hai aur logo ko hasaata hai, taki jitne bhi log mehfil mein baithe hain unko bura na lage.”

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Explaining the emotional and spiritual connection he had while playing the role, the actor added, “Agarbatti hamesha ek samman ki cheez rahi hai ghar mein. Iska ek tareeka hai, ek parampara hai, ek sabhyata hai. Mere ghar mein bhi pooja hoti thi aur hum log dada ji ke saath, vishwa-kalyan hetu, ya toh ‘action-cut’ sunte the ya phir public ke beech jaake apne guru bhaiyon ke saath Shivling nirmaan karte the, vishwa-kalyan ke liye Shivling banaate the.”

He added, “Ab yeh character Chhota Pandit ka tha aur main actually dharm ko poojta hoon. Toh yeh character mere liye andar hi andar bahut challenging tha ki agar zara sa bhi maine idhar-udhar kiya, toh hamare dharm ka mazaak na udd jaaye.”

Rajpal Yadav Reveals How They Used Mosquito Repellent Stick For His Look

Rajpal then revealed that the now-famous agarbatti look actually came from a mosquito repellent stick used on set. Recalling the moment, he shared, “Arrey woh actually machhar bhagaane wali lambi agarbatti thi, joh shooting mein hoti thi. Hum log usko tod lete the aur laga lete the. Jab uski raakh idhar-udhar girti thi toh poora chehra machal jaata tha.”

The actor added, “Pehle Priyan ji ismein phool rakhna chah rahe the, kyunki mandir ka setup tha. Toh mujhe aise hi yaad aaya ki agar sir yeh Manjulika ko dekh ke itna zyada react ho gaya aur phir baad mein bilkul normal ho gaya, toh woh paagal dikh raha tha. Aur jab paagal dikhna chahiye tha, tab normal ho gaya.”

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Rajpal Yadav Reveals How He Pitched Priyadarshan To Use Agarbatti In The Look

Further speaking about how he pitched the idea to Priyadarshan, Rajpal said, “Toh humne usme yeh agarbatti laga di. Main dekh raha tha ki dada kone mein usse machhar bhaga rahe the. Maine kaha, ‘Dada, yeh lambi wali dena zara.’ Kyuki vidushak darbaar mein darbaar ki hansi bana ke aur darbaar walon ko khush karta hai. Toh agar pata lag jaaye ki yeh sayaanepan mein kar raha hai, toh uska meaning galat ho jaayega. Aur agar yeh bewakoofi mein kar raha hai, genuinely funny lag raha hai, toh log enjoy karte hain.”

He further recalled Priyadarshan’s reaction after seeing the final look. “Toh maine hamesha agarbatti laga ke Priyan ji ke paas jaake dikhaya. Unhone dekha toh hans pade aur bole, ‘Wah! Aaya isko.’ Aur wahi se mujhe ek character mil gaya.”

Ending on an emotional note, Rajpal explained why the character connected with audiences across generations. “Aur phir jisne bhi dekha… humare dada ji ne, santon ne, sabne aashirvaad diya. Kyunki yeh kisi ka mazaak udaane ke liye nahi tha, sabko gudgudane ke liye tha. Bahut pure tha. Har parivaar ko khush karne wala character tha. Isliye vidushak hota hai. Vidushak means maskhara. Hum kisi mein maskhari ek tareeke se karte hain, kisi mein doosre tareeke se.”

Even years after Bhool Bhulaiyaa released, Chhota Pandit remains one of the most loved comic characters in Hindi cinema. Rajpal Yadav’s behind-the-scenes revelation once again shows how iconic characters are often born from spontaneous ideas mixed with honesty and creativity.

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Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan reunited for Bhooth Bangla, which was Rajpal Yadav’s latest outing, and the film went on to enjoy a successful box office run. Up next, the actor will feature in Welcome to the Jungle alongside Akshay Kumar. He is also reportedly locked for Salman Khan’s upcoming collaboration with Dil Raju, which has reportedly secured an Eid 2027 release. The film remains untitled, and the makers are yet to unveil further details.

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Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Is Rajpal Yadav Manifesting Chhota Pandit VS Manjulika Face Off? Says, “Bhool Bhulaiyaa Abhi Bhi Adhoori Hai”

Varsha Tiwari

Varsha Tiwari is a budding content writer passionate about Bollywood, pop culture, and the stories behind the spotlight. She enjoys breaking down trends, celebrity moments, and film narratives into engaging, reader-friendly content. Always curious and observant, she is currently pursuing a Master’s in Communication and Journalism. Outside of writing, she enjoys painting because storytelling doesn’t always need words to make an impact.