Comedian Raju Srivastava breathed his last at the age of 58 years at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. Srivastava had been hospitalised since August 10 after he reported chest pain and collapsed while working out. He was under treatment for more than a month
Srivastava’s health deteriorated on September 1 when he reported a fever of over 100 degrees and was put on ventilator support for the second time. The comedian was first put on a ventilator on August 10 and had gained consciousness on August 25 after spending almost 15 days in the ventilator.
Raju Srivastav, who has died aged 58, was an ace comedian and actor best known for Hindi films such as Maine Pyar Kiya, Baazigar, the remake of Bombay to Goa, and Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiya. A familiar face in the entertainment industry since the 1980s, Raju Srivastav catapulted to fame after participating in the first season of the reality stand-up comedy show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge in 2005.
The comedian was admitted to Delhi’s AIIMS hospital on August 10 after suffering a cardiac arrest. He had collapsed while running on the treadmill in a gym in South Delhi. He was rushed to the hospital by his trainer and was given CPR followed by angioplasty.
Raju Srivastav, often credited as Gajodhar, was born on December 25, 1963, in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur in a middle-class family. His father, Ramesh Chandra Srivastava, was a poet and he was popularly known as Balai Kaka. Raju Srivastav was a good mimic since childhood and he always knew that he would become a comedian.
Raju Srivastav began his career by doing small roles in Hindi films. He also participated in Bigg Boss (Hindi season 3) where he stayed in the house for more than two months. He later participated in the comedy show Comedy Ka Maha Muqabala. In 2013, the comedian along with his wife participated in Nach Baliye season 6. He has also appeared on Comedy Nights with Kapil.
