One of India’s most famed comedians, Raju Srivastava passed away at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on Wednesday, September 21, 2022. He was 58. His family confirmed his passing.

The funny man shot to fame in 2005 following his participation in the Great Indian Laughter challenge. However, Srivastava has been around ever longer. He joined the entertainment industry back in the 1980s taking on small roles in Bollywood here and there as he attempted to make a name for himself. 

But for the former “King of Comedy”, the road to greatness wasn’t an easy one. When he arrived in Mumbai in the early 1980s, Srivastava made a living for himself by driving autorickshaws around town. In his spare time, he would perform in shows for as low as Rs 50. 

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In an attempt to catch a break in Bollywood, he would often take up minor roles. He received his first acting credit in 1989 in the Rajshri Productions film Maine Pyar Kiya, for his role as a truck driver. In 1993, he received his next film credit, college student in the film Baazigar. 

It was in 1994 that Srivastava got his first break playing himself on television in Doordarshan’s Tea Time Manoranjan. In 1998, he bagged a role in India’s first ever superhero show, Shaktimaan where he played Dhurandhar Singh. 

It was in 2005 that Srivastava finally made it big. He participated in the reality stand-up comedy series The Great Indian Laughter Challenge and came in third as the second runner-up having been beaten by Ahsaan Qureshi and Sunil Pal. On stage, Srivastava brought to life Gajodhar and Manodhar, two characters he created which were immensely popular. 

Between 2013 and 2022, he participated in various reality tv shows including Nach Baliye with his wife Shikha Srivastava and Comedy Nights with Kapil where he played various characters. 

He even had a short stint with the Samajwadi party in 2014, running from Kanpur. However, he returned the ticket citing not enough support and went on to join the Bharatiya Janata Party that same year. 

Srivastava is survived by his wife Shikha and their two children, 
Antara and Ayushman.