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Raju Srivastav

Satya Prakash Srivastav (25 December 1963 – 21 September 2022), known professionally as Raju Srivastav and often credited as Gajodhar, was an Indian comedian, actor and politician.[1] He was born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, and moved to Mumbai in the 1980s to work in the Hindi film industry. He acted in Baazigar, Bombay to Goa, Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya among others. He contested in the comedy show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and became the runner-up. He won the title of "The King of Comedy" in its spin-off show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge – Champions. He did many stand-up comedy live shows.

Raju Srivastav
Srivastav during an event in 2012
Birth nameSatyaprakash Srivastav
Born(1963-12-25)25 December 1963
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Died(2022-09-21)21 September 2022 (aged 58)
Delhi, India
GenresObservational comedy
Spouse
Shikha Srivastav
​
(m. 1993)​
Children2
Relative(s)Kushal Srivastava (nephew)
Notable works and rolesThe Great Indian Laughter Challenge

He had been a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party since 2014.

Early life

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He was born in 1963 in Kanpur city in the state of Uttar Pradesh in a Kayastha family.[2] His father Ramesh Srivastav was a poet. In his childhood, Srivastav liked to mimic film stars including Amitabh Bachchan.[3]

Career

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In 1980s he moved to Mumbai, and started his career by doing small roles in Bollywood films.[3] He had a part in the Rajshri Productions movie Maine Pyar Kiya[4] and other small roles in various movies such as Baazigar and Bombay to Goa.[1] He worked as an actor and comedian in the Bollywood movie Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya.[5]

In 2005, he ventured into stand-up comedy with the talent show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and finished as second runner-up. Then he took part in its spin-off, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge – Champions, and won the title of "The King of Comedy".[6] He became famous because of this show.[3][1] By 2009, he had done more than 2,800 live shows.[1]

In 2009, in an interview, he said the vulgarity in comedy shows was a concern for him. He believed that comedians should practice self-regulation.[1] Srivastav participated in Bigg Boss (Hindi season 3), the Indian counterpart of the Big Brother. After staying in the house for more than two months he was voted out on 4 December 2009.[7] In 2010, Srivastav received threatening calls from Pakistan warning him not to crack jokes on underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Pakistan during his shows.[8]

In 2013, Raju along with his wife participated in Nach Baliye season 6, which is a couples dance show on StarPlus. He has also appeared on Comedy Nights with Kapil.[9]

In 2016, he appeared in Mazaak Mazaak Mein, a Hindi reality television talent competition.[10]

In 2019 participated in the comedy show Comedy Ka Maha Muqabala.[11]

Political career

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The Samajwadi Party (SP) fielded Srivastava from Kanpur Lok Sabha constituency for the 2014 Lok Sabha election.[12] But on 11 March 2014, Srivastav returned the ticket, saying he was not getting enough support from the local units of the party. SP was expecting him to quit as the contest in the seat had become important.[13] SP withdrew his candidature from Kanpur after he quit.[14]

Within days of leaving SP, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 19 March 2014.[15] BJP did not give him the ticket for Lok Sabha 2014. He campaigned in support of BJP candidates in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.[16] In 2014, he was appointed by the BJP led Union government as the brand ambassador of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and had recorded advertisements for the campaign.[17][10] In 2018, Srivastav disclosed on social media that he would get the chance to contest in the 2019 Indian general election as BJP candidate for Lok Sabha, although that did not materialize.[18]

In March 2019, he was appointed by the BJP-led Government of Uttar Pradesh as the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council.[16]

Reception

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Widely described as the "king of comedy",[19][20] his looks were also noted for having resembled Amitabh Bachchan.[21][22]

In January 2021, Raju Srivastav released a small video clip on social media criticizing the creators and actors of the web series Tandav for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments by insulting Hindu religion and Hindu deities. In response, filmmaker Vinod Kapri and others shared several videos of Srivastav's comedy shows where he had used Hindu deities and the Indian holy epic Ramayana in his comedy sketches. Kapri said that Srivastav had mocked the Hindu god Brahma and had joked about Brahma meeting actress Madhuri Dixit and his white beard turning red.[18][23]

Following Shrivastav's death, comedian Sunil Pal praised Shrivastav and added that "He would help juniors find gigs. He would also help his juniors financially, made sure they are paid on time and paid well. He brought in a lot of good changes in the comedy circle".[24] Comedian Bharti Singh said that Shrivastav's death is "a great loss for the entire country".[25]

Personal life

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Srivastav married Shikha from Lucknow on 1 July 1993. They had two children, a boy and a girl.[26]

Death

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On 10 August 2022, while running on the treadmill in the gym, Raju Srivastav complained of chest pain and suffered a cardiac arrest.[27][28] He underwent an angioplasty and was put on ventilator.[29] Swelling was observed in his brain during his treatment and he was also treated by neurologists.[30] His condition was stated to be critical[31] ever since he suffered the heart attack. On the morning of 21 September 2022, he died during his treatment in Delhi.[32]

The post mortem was done using the method of virtual autopsy.[28] His last rites were conducted in Delhi.[33]

Prolific figures including Narendra Modi, Yogi Adityanath, Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor, Vivek Agnihotri, Rajpal Yadav and others expressed their condolences over Shrivastav's death.[34][35]

Filmography

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Films

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Year Title Role Ref
1988 Tezaab [36]
1989 Maine Pyaar Kiya Truck Cleaner [36]
1993 Baazigar College Student [3]
1994 Mr. Azaad [1]
2001 Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiyaa Baba Chin Chin Choo [5]
2002 Waah! Tera Kya Kehna Banne Khan's assistant [36]
2003 Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon Shambhu, Sanjana's servant [36]
2007 Big Brother Autorickshaw Driver & Rizwan Ahmed [36]
Bombay to Goa Anthony Gonsalves [36]
2010 Bhavnaon ko Samjho Daya from Gaya [1]
2017 Toilet: Ek Prem Katha [3]
2023 Kanjoos Makhichoos Yadav, MLA's PA [37]

TV series

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Year Series Role Ref
1994 Dekh Bhai Dekh Cameo [38]
1998–2005 Shaktimaan Dhurandhar Singh [38]
2005 The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Contestant [3]
2007–2014 Comedy Circus Various characters [39]
2008–2009 Raju Hazir Ho Himself [40][39]
2009 Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah Himself [41]
2009 Bigg Boss Contestant [42]
2011 Comedy Ka Maha Muqabala Contestant [10]
2013–2014 Nach Baliye Contestant [43]
2013–2016 Comedy Nights with Kapil Various characters [44]
2014 Gangs of Haseepur Host [45]
2016–2017 The Kapil Sharma Show Various characters [46]
2016 Mazaak Mazaak Mein Himself [10]
2022 Hostel Daze Chai Tapri Wala/Narrator [47]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "An institute of comedy, courtesy Raju Srivastav". Deccan Herald. Indo-Asian News Service. 11 September 2009. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  2. ^ Satish Chand Shukla (17 July 2021). "कायस्‍थों को एक मंच पर लाने का काम शुरू, राजू श्रीवास्तव से शुरू हुआ सदस्यता अभियान". jagran.com.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Raju Srivastava: Popular Indian comedian dies aged 58". BBC News. 21 September 2022. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  4. ^ Sharma, Sampada (29 December 2017). "28 years of Maine Pyar Kiya: Eight lesser-known facts about the Salman Khan starrer". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Big B praises Raju Srivastav in KBC, comedian gets emotional". ABP Live. 23 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  6. ^ "Comic moments in comedian Kapil Sharma-Ginni Chatrath reception". Tellychakkar.com. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  7. ^ Hegde, Rajul (7 December 2009). "Was shocked when Tanaaz, Aditi pulled my pajamas". Rediff. Archived from the original on 29 May 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  8. ^ "Comedian Raju Srivastav gets threat from Pak". The Times of India. Times of India. 31 January 2009. Archived from the original on 5 February 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  9. ^ "Raju Srivastava Died On 21 Sept". Bolly Movie Review Tech. 21 September 2022. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  10. ^ a b c d "Comedian Raju Srivastav suffers major heart attack — a look at his life & career". cnbctv18.com. 12 August 2022. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  11. ^ "Raju Srivastav tickles the funny bone at Le Meridien, Bangalore". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  12. ^ "Akhilesh Yadav turns to comedy, fields Raju Srivastava from Kanpur in Lok Sabha election". Indian Express. 14 February 2013. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  13. ^ "Comedian Raju Srivastava returns SP Lok Sabha ticket". The Hindu. 11 March 2014. Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  14. ^ "Jagdambika Pal, artiste Raju Srivastava join BJP". The Indian Express. 19 March 2014. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  15. ^ "Jagdambika Pal, artiste Raju Srivastava join BJP". Indian Express. 19 March 2014. Archived from the original on 26 September 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  16. ^ a b "Raju Srivastav's journey in politics: Found home in BJP after days in SP and an LS ticket". The Indian Express. 21 September 2022. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  17. ^ "Raju Srivastav files complaint against using his image in anti-BJP message". The New Indian Express. 25 October 2017. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  18. ^ a b "Netizens Call Out Raju Srivastava For His Hypocrisy After He Disses 'Tandav'". ScoopWhoop. 20 January 2021. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  19. ^ Veronica, Shreya (22 September 2022). "King of comedy Raju Srivastav departs". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  20. ^ "From Rs 50 per show to 'King of Comedy': Raju Srivastava's inspiring life". Business Standard News. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  21. ^ Chatterjee, Siddhi (4 November 2020). "Raju Srivastava: Raju Srivastava on being Big B's lookalike: 'Relatives thought I would bring dishonour to my family'". Zoom TV. Archived from the original on 4 November 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  22. ^ "Raju Srivastava's career graph, from Baazigar to The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and beyond". India Today. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  23. ^ Quint, Entertainment (20 January 2021). "Comedian Raju Srivastava Called Out for Hypocrisy Over 'Tandav'". The Quint. Archived from the original on 17 August 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  24. ^ Panchal, Komal RJ (21 September 2022). "Comedian Sunil Pal remembers Raju Srivastava: 'Would help juniors get gigs, helped financially too'". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  25. ^ Suri, Ridhi (21 September 2022). "RIP Raju Srivastava: Comedienne Bharti Singh pays tribute, says 'king of comedy is no more'". India TV News. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  26. ^ Jha, Sumit (2 July 2019). "LOL with Raju Srivastava on his wedding anniversary in Lucknow!". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 6 January 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  27. ^ "Comedian Raju Srivastava suffers heart attack in gym; is too much exercise bad for heart?". Hindustan Times. 10 August 2022. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 10 August 2022.
  28. ^ a b "Raju Srivastava: नए तरीके से हुआ राजू श्रीवास्तव का पोस्टमार्टम, जानिए पुराने तरीके से कैसे अलग है वर्चुअल ऑटोप्सी". Good News Today (in Hindi). 22 September 2022. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  29. ^ "Raju Srivastava's condition has not improved, remains on ventilator". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  30. ^ "Raju Srivastava's health worsens, top neurologist flies from Kolkata to treat comedian". India Today. 19 August 2022. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  31. ^ "Raju Srivastava 'critical and on ventilator' following heart attack". The Hindu. PTI. 11 August 2022. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  32. ^ "Comedian Raju Srivastava passes away at 58". India Today. 21 September 2022. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  33. ^ "Raju Srivastav Funeral". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  34. ^ Desk, HT Entertainment (21 September 2022). "Raju Srivastava death: Anil Kapoor, Ajay Devgn, Vivek Agnihotri pay tribute to 'true legend of stand-up comedy'". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 22 September 2022. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  35. ^ Singh, Neha (21 September 2022). "RIP Raju Srivastav: PM Modi, Yogi Adityanath, Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah and others condole the death of Comedian". NewsroomPost. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  36. ^ a b c d e f "Raju Srivastava Passes Away: Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon to Maine Pyar Kia, Top 5 Film Appearances". News18. 21 September 2022. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  37. ^ "Kanjoos Makhichoos trailer: Kunal Kemmu turns annoying miser, Raju Srivastav's final appearance leaves fans emotional". DNA India. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  38. ^ a b "Shaktiman: मुकेश खन्ना के 'शक्तिमान' में राजू श्रीवास्तव ने निभाया था यह किरदार, क्या आपको याद है?". Amar Ujala (in Hindi). Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  39. ^ a b Gandhi, Mohak (18 August 2022). "A look at Raju Srivastava's Top 5 hilarious stand-up comedy performances… WATCH". NewsroomPost. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  40. ^ "Meet the fleet – Indian Express". archive.indianexpress.com. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  41. ^ "Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah pays tribute to Raju Srivastava". OTTPlay. Archived from the original on 2 May 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
  42. ^ "BJP is future of Indian politics, says Raju Srivastava". News18. 5 December 2009. Archived from the original on 12 July 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  43. ^ Unnikrishnan, Chaya (14 October 2013). "Funnyman Raju Srivastava and chef Ripudaman Handa in 'Nach Baliye 6'". DNA India. Archived from the original on 26 September 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  44. ^ "Finally Raju Srivastav on 'Comedy Nights with Kapil'! – Times of India". The Times of India. 6 December 2013. Archived from the original on 19 August 2018. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  45. ^ "Being seriously funny". 23 April 2014. Archived from the original on 26 September 2019. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  46. ^ "After Sunil Grover, Is Kapil Sharma's New Co-Star Raju Srivastava? Not Yet". NDTV.com. 23 March 2017. Archived from the original on 29 March 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  47. ^ "Hostel Daze season 3 teaser: Raju Srivastava makes his final appearance, makes fans emotional. Watch". Hindustan Times. 8 November 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
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