Raju Srivastava (1963-2022) is an Indian comedian, actor and politician who is best known for participating in the show ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’ in 2005 and becoming the second runner-up. He gained popularity for his role as Gajodhar Bhaiya in the show ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge.’ He died at AIIMS New Delhi while undergoing treatment on 21 September 2022.
Wiki/Biography
Raju Srivastava was born Satya Prakash Srivastava on Wednesday, 25 December 1963 (age 58 years; at time of death) in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. His zodiac sign is Capricorn.
Physical appearance
Height (approx): 5′ 7″
Weight (approx): 70 kg
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Black
Family
Parents & Siblings
Raju Srivastava’s father’s name is Ramesh Chandra Srivastava, also known as Balai Kaka. He is a government employee and a poet.
Raju Srivastava with his father
His mother’s name is Saraswati Srivastava, a housewife. He has five brothers, one of whom is Deepu Srivastava, who is a comedian, and a sister, Sudha Srivastava.
Raju Srivastava with his brother Deepu Srivastava
Raju Srivastava’s sister
Wife & Children
Raju married Shikha Srivastava, a housewife on 17 May 1993. He is survived by two children, a son, Aayushmaan Srivastava, who is a sitar player, and a daughter, Antara Srivastava, who is a director.
Raju Srivastava with his wife and children
Signature
Signature of Raju Srivastava
Career
Movie
Raju started his acting career with the movie Tezaab in 1988.
‘Tezaab’ movie poster
He appeared in many more Bollywood films including Baazigar (1993), Waah! Tera Kya Kehna (2002), Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon (2003), Bombay to Goa (2007), and Firangi (2017).
Raju Srivastava in the film Waah! Tera Kya Kehna (2002)
Television
He made his television debut with the show Dekh Bhai Dekh in 1994.
Raju Srivastava in the television show ‘Dekh Bhai Dekh’
He participated as a contestant in various shows including Shaktiman (1998–2005), Comedy Circus (2007-2014), Laugh India Laugh (2012), Comedy Nights with Kapil (2013–2016), and Adaalat (2015).
Raju Srivastava’s collages perform on Comedy Nights with Kapil
In 2016, he appeared in a TV Commercial for ‘PetSaffa.’
Politics
Raju started his political career when he won an election ticket in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections by the Samajwadi Party from Kanpur. On March 11, 2014, he left the party because he did not get much support from the local unit of the party. On 19 March 2014, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party. In the same year, he became part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Raju Srivastava cleansed his society
Controversy
Hatred from Pakistan
Raju was threatened by some people from Pakistan in 2010 when he received threatening calls to stop making jokes about gangster Dawood Ibrahim and Pakistan during his show. He received a similar call from Pakistan in 2021 where the caller threatened him and said that they will kill him and his family just like they killed Kamlesh Tiwari, president of the Hindu Samaj Party (HSP), who was killed at his home in Lucknow in 2019. Raju shared the video on Twitter where he said,
When India was attacked by Pakistan and China, I was very angry. My anger flows through the comedy. I am being bullied. My situation will be like Kamlesh Tiwari from Lucknow. My children will be killed, but I will only talk about my country. I work my way. I am happy when my country’s army conducts surgical strikes.”
Raju asked Home Minister Amit Shah to launch an inquiry against the caller.
Memes against Raju
In 2017, someone made a meme on Raju by using his picture for embarrassing jokes about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP members. Raju filed a police complaint against the person at Oshiwara police station.
Raju Srivastava blackmails
In 2019, a person named Rahul claimed Rs. 10 Lakh from Raju and blackmailed him into leaking the video of Raju having sex with a woman at his home in Lucknow. Rahul claims to be a Yuvjan Sabha SP employee. Later, Raju sent an application to DGP Hazratganj, OP Singh after which Rahul was arrested.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- 2016: Yash Bharti Award by Akhilesh Yadav
Raju Srivastava receives Yash Bharti Award by Akhilesh Yadav
- 2016: Award at Gata Rahe Mera Dil- PHD Excellence Award & Musical Night
Raju Srivastava wins award at Gata Rahe Mera Dil- PHD Excellence Award & Musical Night
- 2017: Dada Sahab Phalke Excellence Award
Raju Srivastava won the Dada Sahab Phalke Excellence Award
- 2020: Award for one of India’s top 100 personalities
Raju Srivastava won an award for being one of the top 100 personalities in India
Death
On 21 September 2022, Raju Srivastava died at AIIMS New Delhi while undergoing treatment. He was admitted to AIIMS in August 2022, where he underwent angioplasty after he suffered a heart attack while exercising on a treadmill at the Cult gym in Delhi. Many celebrities and politicians came forward to monitor his health. Some of them include Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to many media reports, on 18 August 2022, it was reported that Raju was brain dead, but his manager clarified the rumor and said,
There is nothing like this. He was unconscious. There is swelling in the nerves of his brain. With some drugs, he could not respond. Then some injections were given which caused some nerves in his brain to swell. The doctor is treating him.”
Comedian Raju Srivastava died in Delhi at the age of 58, his family confirmed.
He was admitted to AIIMS Delhi on August 10 after suffering from chest pain & collapsed while exercising in the gym.
(File Photo) pic.twitter.com/kJqPvOskb5
— ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2022
Favourite
- TV Shows: Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai (2015), Happu Ki Ultan Paltan (2019)
Facts/Trivia
- He is known as Gajodhar Bhaiya. In an interview, she said that Gajodhar was her barber as a child.
Raju Srivastava plays Gajodhar Bhaiya
- Raju is the chairman of the Film Development Council, Uttar Pradesh.
- While in school, he once imitated his teacher who considered it an insult. In an interview, she said that she once imitated Indira Gandhi in front of her relatives when they returned home. He also said that he used to learn about someone by listening to the radio because there was no TV in their house.
- When Raju told his family about choosing a career in comedy, they didn’t like it. In an interview, he talked about this and said,
My relatives felt insulted by my jokes. They used to think that children should study instead of playing pranks at other people’s houses. They once complained to my parents and thought they would bring shame to my family. Comedy as an art is unknown. They are against the same thing.”
- As Raju grew up, he became a fan of Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan. He used to sleep in his school and watch Amitabh Bachchan movies. He loved her so much that he kept his appearance the way she was. In an interview, he said that his neighbor once called him at a party to do an Amitabh Bachchan impersonation.
An old picture of Raju Srivastava appears as Amitabh Bachchan
- In an interview, he said that when he got Rs. 50 for his show and that was the day he realized that he could earn money with his comedy.
- He used to drive cars during the initial phase of his career in Mumbai. After some time, he released his first audio comedy cassette ‘Hasna Mana Hai’ after which he got recognition.
Raju Srivastava’s Cassette ‘Hasna Mana Hai’
- He was dubbed the King of Comedy in the Great Indian Laughter Challenge show.
- Raju got married in 1993, but he had to wait for twelve years to marry his wife Shikha. He fell in love with her in 1982, when she attended his brother’s wedding in Fatehpur. He doesn’t tell his feelings to Shikha and goes to Mumbai to become a comedian. He works hard there, becomes a famous comedian, and earns a lot of money to impress Shikha’s family. When he was in Mumbai, she once wrote to him to confirm that he was not married to someone else. Later, he sent a marriage proposal to his family and they went to see his house in Mumbai after which they were impressed by him, and they got married.
- In 2019, he offered to make a film city in Varanasi to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. In the offer proposed to him, he said that the talent in Varanasi does not have to leave the city and the film city will be a tourist spot for the city. He was allotted a plot of 106 acres in Varanasi to make the film city.
- In 2021, Raju came forward to criticize the web series Tandav. In a video posted on his social media account, he said,
How dare you make fun of Hindu gods? I dare you to make plans to criticize other religions. You won’t be able to do it because you will be killed. Saif Ali Khan has supported this time and again because it is a given that Hindus are good enough to forgive. But the time has come for decisive action. Removing the scene alone is not enough, the perpetrators should be punished.”
Later, filmmaker Vinod Kapri took to Twitter and posted an old video of Raju making fun of lord Brahma.
#Tandav पर शोर माचाने वाले #RajuSrivastava ने खुद भागवान ब्रह्मा का भडडा मजाजाक उडाया है#BhagwanBrahma को माधुरी दिक्षित से मिलाने का बहुदा मजाजाक #Brahma की सफेद दाडी , लाल हो जाने का भूडना मजाजाक
ایس کبیر کرید پر کب موقدما will do @Uppolice? @myogiadityanath (part 1) pic.twitter.com/ag6B87tWxA
— Vinod Kapri (@vinodkapri) January 19, 2021
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
