Raju Srivastava: Popular Indian comedian dies aged 58
Image credit: IndiaTV News
Raju Srivastava, a well-known comedian in India, passed away at the age of 58, according to his family.
After suffering a heart attack on August 10th, Srivastava was receiving treatment at a hospital in Delhi, the nation’s capital.
After falling at the gym while working out and experiencing chest pain, the comedian was transported to the hospital and put on life support.
Last week, his family said that Srivastava was making a gradual recovery while still using a ventilator.
In the 1980s, Srivastava started working as an actor in Hindi movies.
He gained instant notoriety after taking part in The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, a stand-up comedy reality show, in 2005.
Following the announcement of Srivastava’s passing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the tributes.
Srivastava was known as the comic for the common man. He was born in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, in the city of Kanpur, in 1963. His father, Ramesh Srivastava, was a poet.
Raju Srivastava showed a gift for miming as a young child. His uncanny talent for impersonating Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan later made him well-known in the Hindi comic community.
In the 1980s, when India’s primary source of entertainment was the government-run Doordarshan TV, Srivastava started doing comedy.
His debut sketch, Hasna Mana Hai (Laughter is Banned), was released as an audio cassette.
As a contestant in The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, Srivastava enthralled viewers with his quick wit and delivery of jokes.
He made light of the fact that he donned vibrant, colourful attire in an interview, “My performances take place in fairs in crowded places like Patna and Lucknow. So when I’m dressed like this, folks can see me from a distance. “
Srivastava experimented with politics, like many other Indian artists.
In the national election of 2014, he ran for the Samajwadi Party in Kanpur. Later, he dropped out of the contest. He joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party many months later (BJP).
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