Comedian Raju Srivastava on Wednesday passed away in Delhi at the age of 58, his family confirmed. Raju Srivastava suffered a heart attack on August 10 while working out at a hotel. He was rushed to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and underwent angioplasty. Since then, he was on a ventilator and never gained consciousness.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the comedian's death and said, "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.
Raju Srivastava was a part of the entertainment industry right from the early 1990s. He made his showbiz debut with Anil Kapoor’s 1988 movie Tezaab. Later, Raju featured in films that also had Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Govinda and Hrithik Roshan. Raju did several stage shows before he was spotted by Johnny Lever. However, he rose to fame after he participated in the reality show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge in 2005. Raju emerged as the first runners-up of the show and won everyone’s heart with his comedy. He later featured in several shows including Raju Hazir Ho (2009), Comedy Ka Maha Muqabala (2011), Laugh India Laugh (2012), Comedy Nights With Kapil (2013) and Gangs of Haseepur (2014) among others.