Actor-comedian Raju Srivastava passed away on Wednesday due to a cardiac arrest, after battling for life for the past one-and-a-half months. The actor was admitted to AIIMS in Delhi after he suffered a cardiac arrest in August while he was working out at a gym. He was on a ventilator since then.

His wife Shikha Srivastava, who was inconsolable, said, “I am not able to talk right now. What can I say now? He fought very hard, I was really hoping and praying that he would come out of this. But, that did not happen. All I can say is that he was a true fighter.”

Raju Srivastava’s nephew, Kushal Srivastava, and family friend Dr Aneel Murarka had been visiting him at AIIMS regularly. Kushal said, “He passed away due to a second cardiac arrest. We were confident till Tuesday that he would recover because he he had battling it for so long.”

Dr Aneel Morarka added, “Raju bhai and I were friends since college days and I have known him for more than 37 years. Both of us struggled and we never knew that we would reach till here. Raju bhai lived a life we are proud of and I pray that he finds peace.”

Srivastava started his career with small roles in films, like Maine Pyar Kiya, Baazigar, Bombay to Goa and Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya. He became a household name after participating in the comedy show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. He was also a part of Bigg Boss 3.

Raju Srivastava brightened our lives with laughter, humour 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.

It’s really sad. I had known Raju bhai for a long time. My first film as an assistant director featured him as an actor. Amongst other responsibilities, my job was to get him from his vanity van to the set. So, I worked and interacted with him right from my days of struggle. With him around, it was always a laugh riot. Our last meeting was a few days before he suffered a heart attack. I had gone to meet someone on the set of The Kapil Sharma Show for my agreement. He was performing for another comedy show then. I watched him perform backstage and I remember telling those around me ki Raju bhai ki energy dekho kitni kamaal hai. Later, I met him on stage, too. Comedy ki ek golden era unhone dekhi hai and he has been instrumental in elevating the level of comedy in India.

Raju ji was a dear friend, I can say he was family. I have been in touch with them for the past two months, and I was sure he would recover and come back to us. Par yeh ho na saka. Both of us started our careers together. He made his own path and reached great heights without any support. He was also one of those actor-comedians who did all kinds of odd jobs in his early struggling days to make it big in life. I am thankful to God that Raju ji was in my life. Every year we hosted an event where we used to promote new talent, and Raju ji became a part of it as he also believed that new talent needs to be encouraged.

We worked on many shows together and I will remember him as a person who would always have a smile on his face, no matter what the circumstances. In 2016, we both went on a world tour for our shows, and at that time, I got a chance to know him on a personal level. He was humble, simple and a nice person. I saw that he was very particular about his health and fitness. While I used to sleep in the mornings, he would wake up early and go for a swim and to the gym in the hotel. It’s extremely saddening to know that Raju ji is no more. I always felt that he would recover.

I have no words to describe this loss. You have left us all too soon. You will be missed my brother. I just can’t believe this.

Unbelievable!! Huge loss for the country, a very fine artist, a great human being and a beautiful soul. Will miss you Raju bhai.

— With inputs from Neha Maheshwri and Hasti Doshi

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- Born as Satya Prakash Srivastava on December 25 1963 in Kanpur, Raju Srivastava was inclined towards mimicry ever since he was a child.

- Having struggled to make ends meet when he first came to Mumbai, Srivastava drove an auto, did cricket commentary, small comedy acts and even took up parts in films.

- In 2005, he was crowned The King of Comedy and was named second runner-up in The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. Gajodhar Bhaiya, a funny character that he created, is still etched in fans’ minds.

- He and his wife, Shikha, appeared on the dance reality show Nach Baliye in 2013. Srivastava was also active in politics and an integral part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

- In 2019, he was appointed the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council and actively worked to set up a film city in UP.

Raju bhaiya and I have had a relationship of over 17 years. We’ve been through a lot together. What I admire about him is how he would infuse life into inanimate objects, like a sofa or a fan, etc. His comedy was clean, never vulgar. These are the things which will keep him alive among us.

We were on very cordial terms, and we’d often visit each other’s houses. Whenever he prepared a new skit, he would perform it for me and ask if the punches are landing.

Raju bhaiya gareebon ki madad karte the. The moment he would get to know that a comedian is struggling or hasn’t been able to pay rent for months, he would immediately help, because he himself had struggled at one point.

Amitabh Bachchan ji ka jab Coolie ke set pe accident hua tha, poore desh ne unke liye dua ki thi. I saw the same happen with Raju, who himself had come to Mumbai as a young Amitabh, dancing and talking like him. The entire country prayed for his recovery. The last time we met, I told him we should make another film like Bombay to Goa, which had all of us comedians. He agreed, and we also decided to shoot in Uttar Pradesh. Unfortunately, this dream of his remains unfulfilled.