New Delhi: Well-known actress and TV personality Archana Puran Singh recently remembered late comedian Raju Srivastav and shared her experience working with him in films. She said: "I have done numerous films with him and realised that he was a very fine actor but then, he became more popular with his stand-up comedy. I think he was an actor, a stand-up and a wonderful comic talent. It is heartbreaking as we lost him too soon."
Archana added his last visit to a comedy reality show and the way he expressed his love for comedy.
"Just one week before he was hospitalised, he came on the set of 'India's Laughter Champion' and graced the sarpanch's chair. And in this very studio where the set was put up, standing on the stage he said 'I want to live on this stage, and I find my share of happiness here. He told me I am made for comedy and if I have to leave this world then I would want to leave making people laugh with my comedy.'"
"So I am happy that we are paying him a tribute not with tears but with laughter and that is the kind of tribute that Raju deserves."
Since the demise of Raju, popularly known as Gajodhar, on September 21, his industry friends and family members are in shock and remembering him for his contribution to comedy.
'The Kapil Sharma Show' is also going to pay homage to his work and different comedians are invited to be part of it.
They are Vijay Ishwarlal Pawar, Khayali Saharan, Ahsaan Qureshi, Sunil Pal, Rajiv Thakur, Navin Prabhakar, Rehman Khan, Suresh Albela, Rajeev Nigam, Rajat Sood, Jayvijay Sachan, Kettan Singh among others.
Archana concluded: "When I was informed that all these famous comedians will be coming to our show, the first name that popped up in my mind was Raju, but then I realised that this is going to be a tribute to him. I have to say that I stood up here because I wanted to personally pay my heartfelt tribute to Raju."
'The Kapil Sharma Show' airs on Sony Entertainment Television.