Popular Indian comedian Raju Srivastava passed away at the age of 58. The artiste breathed his last at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. He was admitted on August 10, after he had a heart attack.
After 41 days of hospitalization, he died at 10:20 am.
Raju suffered a heart attack while he was in a gym in South Delhi. Raju was complaining that he felt uneasy when he was moved to the hospital. He underwent an angioplasty the same day – but was put on a ventilator since then.
“He was doing his routine exercise and while he was on the treadmill, he suddenly fell down. He suffered a heart attack and was immediately taken to the AIIMS hospital,” Raju Srivastava’s cousin had earlier told.
Raju, who made himself popular by his moniker of ‘Gajodhar’, was born on December 25, 1963, in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur. His father Ramesh Chandra Srivastava was a poet.
He was a revolutionary in the stand-up comedy industry, rising to fame with the first-of-its-kind stand-up comedy talent hunt show ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. The show’s television premiere was in 2005.
He also appeared in blockbuster films including “Maine Pyar Kiya”, “Baazigar”, “Bombay to Goa” (remake) and “Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiya”. He also served as the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of Raju Srivastava saying he “brightened our lives with laughter, humor and positivity.”
“He leaves us too soon but he will continue to live in the hearts of countless people thanks to his rich work over the years. His demise is saddening. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti,” Modi tweeted and posted a photo of his with Raju.
