By Online Desk
After battling for life for weeks at AIIMS in Delhi, comedian-actor Raju Srivastava passed away Wednesday at the age of 58. He is survived by his wife, Shikha Srivastava, and two children, Aayushmaan and Antra.
Soon after complaining of chest pain, he suffered a heart attack on August 10, 2022, while working out in the gym. He underwent an angioplasty and was put on a ventilator. His condition was critical due to which he continued to stay on the ventilator in the intensive care unit (ICU) for more than 40 days.
Raju ventured into stand-up comedy with the talent show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge (2005) produced by Endemol India. He finished as second runner-up and subsequently took part in the spin-off, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge – Champions, in which he won the title of “The King of Comedy.”
As the entire nation mourns over the loss of the Comedy King, here are some interesting facts about him:
Raju Srivastava was born as Satya Prakash Srivastava in Kanpur on December 25, 1963.
The actor was recognised for his astonishing and thought-provoking sense of humour.
After struggling for decades to get a foothold in showbiz, he rose to fame in the entertainment industry after appearing on the comedy show ‘Great Indian Laughter Challenge’ in 2005.
Raju Srivastava made his acting debut in Anil Kapoor’s Tezaab in 1988.
He was well-known for his fictional character ‘Gajodhar,’ a funny character created by him. It was inspired by a barber in his hometown. The character would keep his hands behind his head as he spoke with a laidback attitude and share the simplest of incidental stories in the most hilarious way.
Before appearing on reality shows, Raju played small roles in ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ (1989), ‘Baazigar’ (1993), ‘Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya’ (2001), and several other Bollywood films.
He also acted in popular TV shows such as ‘Shaktiman’ (1997) and ‘Adaalat’ (2010).
Apart from standup comedy, Raju was also very passionate about acting and mimicry.
He was extremely fond of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, and his movies inspired him to pursue a career in showbiz. Thus, Raju began his career by mimicking the voice of Big B.
Raju was appointed as the chairman of the Film Development Council, Uttar Pradesh in 2019. He was one of the members who worked tirelessly to establish a film city in the state.
PM Narendra Modi nominated him to be a part of Swachh Bharat Abhigyan after he joined BJP on March 19, 2014. Since then, he has been spotted participating in clean-up campaigns and supporting the cause.
ALSO READ | Film personalities pay tribute to Raju Srivastava, says ‘You gifted us laughs’
After battling for life for weeks at AIIMS in Delhi, comedian-actor Raju Srivastava passed away Wednesday at the age of 58. He is survived by his wife, Shikha Srivastava, and two children, Aayushmaan and Antra.
Soon after complaining of chest pain, he suffered a heart attack on August 10, 2022, while working out in the gym. He underwent an angioplasty and was put on a ventilator. His condition was critical due to which he continued to stay on the ventilator in the intensive care unit (ICU) for more than 40 days.
Raju ventured into stand-up comedy with the talent show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge (2005) produced by Endemol India. He finished as second runner-up and subsequently took part in the spin-off, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge – Champions, in which he won the title of “The King of Comedy.”
As the entire nation mourns over the loss of the Comedy King, here are some interesting facts about him:
Raju Srivastava was born as Satya Prakash Srivastava in Kanpur on December 25, 1963.
The actor was recognised for his astonishing and thought-provoking sense of humour.
After struggling for decades to get a foothold in showbiz, he rose to fame in the entertainment industry after appearing on the comedy show ‘Great Indian Laughter Challenge’ in 2005.
Raju Srivastava made his acting debut in Anil Kapoor’s Tezaab in 1988.
He was well-known for his fictional character ‘Gajodhar,’ a funny character created by him. It was inspired by a barber in his hometown. The character would keep his hands behind his head as he spoke with a laidback attitude and share the simplest of incidental stories in the most hilarious way.
Before appearing on reality shows, Raju played small roles in ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’ (1989), ‘Baazigar’ (1993), ‘Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya’ (2001), and several other Bollywood films.
He also acted in popular TV shows such as ‘Shaktiman’ (1997) and ‘Adaalat’ (2010).
Apart from standup comedy, Raju was also very passionate about acting and mimicry.
He was extremely fond of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, and his movies inspired him to pursue a career in showbiz. Thus, Raju began his career by mimicking the voice of Big B.
Raju was appointed as the chairman of the Film Development Council, Uttar Pradesh in 2019. He was one of the members who worked tirelessly to establish a film city in the state.
PM Narendra Modi nominated him to be a part of Swachh Bharat Abhigyan after he joined BJP on March 19, 2014. Since then, he has been spotted participating in clean-up campaigns and supporting the cause.
ALSO READ | Film personalities pay tribute to Raju Srivastava, says ‘You gifted us laughs’
