The nation mourns the death of Raju Srivastav who passed away earlier today. The comedian’s family has confirmed the news of his passing. Raju was admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on August 10.
He experienced acute chest pain after collapsing while working out at the gym. His trainer rushed him to a hospital where he was immediately given CPR. He also underwent an angioplasty the same day. Due to his deteriorating condition, he was put on ventilator support but regained consciousness on September 1.
Iconic Works Of Raju Srivastav
Raju Srivastav was best known for his comedic performances in movies like Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya, Baazigar, and Bombay to Goa among others. He also participated in several comedy shows including The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, Comedy Ka Maha Muqabala, Comedy Circus, and Comedy Nights with Kapil. Raju was also widely loved for his impersonation of Bollywood actors and political leaders.
Early Life of Raju Srivastav
Satya Prakash Srivastava (Raju) was born on December 25, 1963, in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Born in a middle-class family in Kanpur, Raju Srivastava‘s mimicry skills were noticed at a young age. According to IMDb, his father Rameshchandra Srivastava was a poet. During his school time, Raju loved to imitate his teachers.
In an old interview, Srivastava had mentioned how he would wait for school functions to perform on stage. With the dream to spread laughter, he started his journey to become a comedian and moved to Mumbai soon after.
He was once noticed while mimicking Amitabh Bachchan and soon started getting offers to mimic him on screen. The comedian has time and time again credited Big B for helping him kickstart his career. Raju Srivastava performed small roles in Bollywood films like Salman Khan-starrer Maine Pyar Kiya, Shah Rukh Khan’s Baazigar, and Bombay To Goa.
He got his big break with the comedy talent show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, which aired on Indian television between 2005 and 2017. His imaginary characters Gajodhar and Manohar were much loved by the audience. Raju tied the knot with Sikha from Lucknow in 1993. The veteran comedian is survived by his wife and children – Antara and Ayushman. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in March 2014.
After Raju Srivastava ended up as the second-runner up on The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, he starred in its spin-off, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge – Champions, and was awarded the title of King of Comedy. He also got himself a solo show Raju Hazir Ho in 2008 that aired on Imagine TV. The artist has also been part of shows like Comedy Nights with Kapil, The Kapil Sharma Show, and Mazaak Mazaak Mein, and even hosted Gangs of Haseepur on Zee TV in 2014.
Source: Filmfare and Indianexpress
