Raju Srivastava, a stand-up comedian who made millions of people laugh with his unintentionally funny observations of people and their quirks and who passed away on Wednesday morning, was from a small town in north India. He was 58.
On August 10, Kanpur-native Srivastava had a heart attack in the midst of his morning workout in a gym. The actor passed out while using a treadmill and was taken to AIIMS where he underwent an angioplasty and struggled with complications for 42 days. He was in the ICU, still in critical condition.
At least 25 movies feature Srivastava as an actor. But he was most happy on stage and in front of the camera. He was one of the first stand-up comedians to achieve fame. Srivastava was a versatile performer who cracked jokes, imitated famous people and regular people, danced without inhibition, and turned banal events into lively social commentary.
His stories and witticism frequently brought back memories and visuals from the environment he grew up in. Although Srivastava occasionally performed burlesque, his jabs were never vicious. He was also an expert at building a connection with the audience. He was referred to by his fans as Gajodhar bhaiya, a role he played.
On the television show "The Great Laughter Challenge" (2005), Srivastava performed one of his best-remembered pieces in which he acted out how various members of a girl's family behave at a wedding. His funny-face persona, which encapsulated witty lines, impeccable comic timing, and hilarious acting, were all present in the skit. There are dozens of these videos on YouTube, some of which have received over 20 million views.
Satyaprakash Srivastava, the actor, was born into a middle-class family to a poet father. Even as a young child, he could mimic well. "When he was in school, Raju would copy his teachers and emulate Indira Gandhi, Dilip Kumar, and Om Prakash. In addition to being invited to commentate local cricket tournaments, he enjoyed taking part in Independence Day cultural events, according to businessman and friend Gyanesh Mishra. Later, he would also perform a superb impersonation of Amitabh Bachchan, which never failed to elicit gasps of amusement.
In Mumbai, Srivastava was cast in supporting roles in blockbusters like "Baazigar" (1989) and "Maine Pyaar Kiya" (1993). He demonstrated some of his talent in the song-based dialogue he performed with Govinda in "Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya" (2001). As time went on, he was cast in more substantial roles in movies like "Journey Bombay to Goa: Laughter Unlimited" (2007).
However, the actor's full comic range only became apparent on television, in the films "Raju Haazir Ho" (2008) and "The Great Laughter Challenge" (2005), as well as in the hundreds of live performances he gave on stage both in India and abroad. He also participated in Season 3 of "Bigg Boss."
Mishra also disclosed that the actor frequently helped the less fortunate. "He provided financial assistance to two girls whose parents had died from Covid-19. Every time he visited Kanpur, he would help the sick, the man recalled.
The Samajwadi Party offered Srivastava a ticket to run in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He joined the BJP after returning the ticket. He served as the current chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council.
His passing was lamented widely on social media. Numerous prominent members of the BJP, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and actor Hrithik Roshan, posted their condolences and tributes on social media.
"Raju Srivastava brought joy, humour, and optimism into our lives. He leaves us too soon, but because of his prolific work over the years, he will live on in the hearts of countless people. It is sad that he has died. My sympathies go out to his family and supporters, Modi tweeted.
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