New Delhi: Raju Srivastava, a renowned stand-up comedian, died at the age of 58 on September 21, 2022. On August 10, he had suffered a sudden heart attack and was transported to AIIMS Delhi. The actor was promptly transferred to the intensive care unit and was placed on life support. He didn't regain consciousness for more than two days, and despite the physicians' attempts, his condition continued to deteriorate even days after he had a heart attack. Doctors revealed that he had suffered brain damage as a result of the heart attack.
He is survived by his wife Shikha and their children, Antara and Ayushman.
Who was Raju Srivastava?
Born as Satya Prakash Srivastava, on December 25, 1963, he was an Indian comedian, politician, and actor. He is often called by the name- Gajodhar, owing to the popular act he put up.
Belonging to a middle-class family from Kanpur, he wanted to be a comedian since childhood and used to imitate his teachers back at school. His father, Ramesh Chandra Srivastava, known as Balai Kaka, was a poet from Kanpur.
His career as a comedian:
To pursue his dream of becoming a comedian, Raju Srivastava had come to Mumbai, where he did minor roles in a number of films such as Maine Pyaar Kiya, Baazigar, and Bombay to Goa. He had also worked as an actor and comedian in the Bollywood movie Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya.
He then ventured into stand-up comedy with the talent show- The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, where he stood third. Following this, he participated in the spin-off of the same show-The Great Indian Laughter Challenge - Champions, winning the title of "The King of Comedy".
He had also participated in other shows such as Big Boss- season 3, Nach Baliye - Season 6, and Comedy Ka Maha Muqabala. Not just that, he had also appeared on Comedy Nights With Kapil and a stand-up comedy show called Mazaak Mazaak Mein, which aired on Life OK.
His career as a politician:
In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Uttar Pradesh Ex-Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party fielded Srivastava from Kanpur. However, on March 11, 2014, Srivastava returned the ticket, claiming that he was not receiving enough support from the party's local units. Following this, on March 19, 2014, he joined the Bhartiya Janata Party.
Later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had nominated him to participate in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Since then, he had promoted cleanliness through his programmes in several places. He had created a number of music videos to promote hygiene and had also directed several television advertisements, and a social service message film for Swacha Bharat Abhiyaan.
Raju Srivastava made millions of people laugh, gaining a huge number of fans and followers. He was once India's highest-paid comedian due to his extraordinary skills.