| Raju Srivastav | |
|---|---|
 Srivastav during an event in 2012 | |
| Birth name | Satyaprakash Srivastav |
| Born | (1963-12-25)25 December 1963 Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Died | (2022-09-21)21 September 2022 (aged 58) Delhi, India |
| Genres | Observational comedy |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relative(s) | Kushal Srivastava (nephew) |
| Notable works and roles | The Great Indian Laughter Challenge |
Satya Prakash Srivastav (25 December 1963 – 21 September 2022), known professionally asRaju Srivastav and often credited asGajodhar, was an Indian comedian, actor and politician.[1] He was born inKanpur, Uttar Pradesh, and moved toMumbai in the 1980s to work in the Hindi film industry. He acted inBaazigar,Bombay to Goa,Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya among others. He contested in the comedy showThe Great Indian Laughter Challenge and became the runner-up. He won the title of "The King of Comedy" in its spin-off showThe Great Indian Laughter Challenge – Champions. He did many stand-up comedy live shows.
He had been a member of theBharatiya Janata Party since 2014.
He was born in 1963 inKanpur city in the state ofUttar Pradesh in aKayastha family.[2] His father Ramesh Srivastav was a poet. In his childhood, Srivastav liked to mimic film stars includingAmitabh Bachchan.[3]
In 1980s he moved to Mumbai, and started his career by doing small roles in Bollywood films.[3] He had a part in theRajshri Productions movieMaine Pyar Kiya[4] and other small roles in various movies such asBaazigar andBombay to Goa.[1] He worked as an actor and comedian in the Bollywood movieAamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya.[5]
In 2005, he ventured into stand-up comedy with the talent showThe 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 inBigg Boss(Hindi season 3), the Indian counterpart of theBig 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 fromPakistan warning him not to crack jokes on underworld donDawood Ibrahim and Pakistan during his shows.[8]
In 2013, Raju along with his wife participated inNach Baliye season 6, which is a couples dance show onStarPlus. He has also appeared onComedy Nights with Kapil.[9]
In 2016, he appeared inMazaak Mazaak Mein, a Hindi reality television talent competition.[10]
In 2019 participated in the comedy showComedy Ka Maha Muqabala.[11]
TheSamajwadi Party (SP) fielded Srivastava fromKanpur Lok Sabha constituency for the2014 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 theBharatiya 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 ledUnion government as thebrand ambassador of theSwachh 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 the2019 Indian general election as BJP candidate for Lok Sabha, although that did not materialize.[18]
In March 2019, he was appointed by the BJP-ledGovernment of Uttar Pradesh as the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council.[16]
Widely described as the "king of comedy",[19][20] his looks were also noted for having resembledAmitabh Bachchan.[21][22]
In January 2021, Raju Srivastav released a small video clip on social media criticizing the creators and actors of the web seriesTandav for allegedly hurting Hindu sentiments by insulting Hindu religion and Hindu deities. In response, filmmakerVinod Kapri and others shared several videos of Srivastav's comedy shows where he had used Hindu deities and the Indian holy epicRamayana in his comedy sketches. Kapri said that Srivastav had mocked the Hindu godBrahma and had joked about Brahma meeting actressMadhuri Dixit and his white beard turning red.[18][23]
Following Shrivastav's death, comedianSunil 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] ComedianBharti Singh said that Shrivastav's death is "a great loss for the entire country".[25]
Srivastav married Shikha fromLucknow on 1 July 1993. They had two children, a boy and a girl.[26]
On 10 August 2022, while running on the treadmill in the gym, Raju Srivastav complained of chest pain and suffered acardiac arrest.[27][28] He underwent anangioplasty and was put onventilator.[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 ofvirtual autopsy.[28] Hislast rites were conducted in Delhi.[33]
Prolific figures includingNarendra 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]
| 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] |
| 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] |
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