Raju Srivastava, also known as Gajodhar bhaiyya, died on September 21, 2022 at the AIIMS Delhi. The top comedian was 58, born on December 25, 1963. He was hospitalized on August 10, 2022 after suffering a heart attack. He was in the ICU receiving life support where doctors did their best to bring the unconscious comedian back to his senses. However, he also suffered brain damage that further worsened his condition. During his treatment, the comedian-actor showed no improvement and did not respond to the treatment. He fought for his life for 40 days. About his condition, Srivastava’s team had confirmed that he had suffered a heart attack while exercising. “He was working out on the treadmill around 11-11:30 am when he had a stroke. He is now stable. There is nothing to worry about from now on. Doctors are conducting tests, we will share more information soon,” his team said a few days after he was hospitalized. Everyone hoped he would come back sooner or later. However, fate had other plans for Raju Srivastava.
Raju’s father Ramesh Chandra Srivastava, born into a humble middle-class family in Kanpur, India, was a poet known as Balai Kaka. Srivastava has been admired for his great comedic timing since childhood and he always wanted to be a comedian. He has performed in multiple shows in India and abroad. Though he initially found recognition as an Amitabh Bachchan lookalike who also acted and had dialogues like the megastar, Raju was soon appreciated for his unique acting and comedy. He also played minor roles in Bollywood movies like Salman Khan’s Maine Pyar Kiya, Shah Rukh Khan’s Baazigar, Bombay to Goa., Govinda’s Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya among others.
His adventure into stand-up comedy with The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and The Great Indian Laughter Challenge – Champions gave him the right kind of platform. He was called the “The King of Comedy” and his character Gajodhar bhaiyya became extremely popular with the masses due to his high relatability. Mopre reality shows and comedy shows followed. Raju was also part of Salman Khan’s Bigg Boss, but in Season 3, which was hosted by Amitabh Bachchan at the time. He stayed on the controversial show for two months before being voted out. Raju and his wife also participated in Nach Baliye season 6 and he has also appeared on Comedy Nights with Kapil by Kapil Sharma.
However, Raju Srivastava’s life was not limited to stage, movies and television. He also engaged in politics and became part of the Samajwadi party for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. He soon returned the ticket due to lack of support from local units of the party and subsequently became part of the Bhartiya Janta -side. Prime Minister Narendra Modi nominated him to join the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan after which Raju started promoting cleanliness through his events, advertisements, music videos and more in various cities.
Srivastav leaves his wife Shikha, whom he married on July 1, 1993, and two children, daughter Antara and son Ayushman. Until his sudden death, Raju Srivastava was very active on social media and used his comedy and satire to spread viral news. He has something to say about anything trending, be it the Har Ghar Tiranga Independence Day 2022 campaign, or Ranveer Singh’s viral nude photoshoot or Aamir Khan’s boycott question on Laal Singh Chaddha. He also made a video that went viral about Salman Khan’s recent death threat. Incidentally, in 2010, Srivastav also received threatening phone calls and death threats from Pakistan, warning him not to joke about the underworld Don Dawood Ibrahim and Pakistan during his shows.
With the demise of Raju Srivastava, India’s comedy brotherhood has lost an irreplaceable talent. We wish him RIP and pray for his family and fans. We are sure that Gajodhar bhaiyya will now spread some laughter in heaven.
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