Comedy King Raju Srivastava was hospitalised at AIIMS Delhi on August 10 after experiencing chest pain and collapsing while working out at the gym. Earlier today, he passed away at the age of 58. Celebs open up about their earliest memories of him, and his contributions to the entertainment industry, and offer condolences.
Sudhanshu Pandey
It’s very unfortunate that Raju Srivastava passed away at this early age. My earliest memories of him are the brilliant stand-up comedies that he used to do on shows on television everywhere. There was a time when I used to bump into him at the back road of Lokhandwala and I used to be jogging there and a lot of actors used to come there. His contribution to the entertainment industry has been tremendous. He has pioneered the trend of stand-up comedy in the film industry and has encouraged all the stand-up comedians who have become very big stars today.
Ashoka Thackur
He was a comedy king and whatever he did, used to be mind-blowing. He was a comedy superstar and I loved the way he used to mimic. He was the one who started the trend of stand-up comedy. The last film of his that I saw was ‘Bombay To Goa’ where his name was Anthony Gonsalves. It was superb. I have even met him and he was a very down-to-earth person and very humble. He was popular all over the world and it’s very unfortunate that we have lost him.
Pranitaa Pandit
It’s too soon to go. This is no age for this to happen and it is completely heartbreaking. I was very young when I first saw him perform. He is one of the pioneers in terms of stand-up comedy. He always had his own style and body of work. The amount of work he has done is phenomenal. His contribution has been immense. His style of comedy is so unique and he has made us all laugh so much. I just hope he is always happy wherever he is.
Sumit Kaul
Raju ji has entertained audiences of all ages for so many years. He was humorous without being offensive. His jokes never felt crass or under the belt. He was also a great actor which shows through his stand-ups. He will be dearly missed. May the divine mother’s blessings be with him.
Chaitannya Choudhry
My earliest memory of him was at one of his stand-up performances which I had gone to with my family. His contribution is phenomenal. He was one of the performers who got stand-up comedy, its due in India. He will always be remembered for his contribution.
Gaurav Singh
He was a man full of humour and enthusiasm. I am shocked and saddened about his unfortunate demise. It’s a huge loss to the industry. I still remember his performances in ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’ and what a treat it was to watch him on stage.
Ssudeep Sahir
It’s so sad to hear this. My heartfelt condolences to his family. May god give them strength and may Raju ji’s soul rest in peace. In the month of February, I was flying to Delhi and Raju ji was my co-passenger. Throughout the flight he was cracking jokes, telling me about his experiences in the industry and how he’s setting up a Film City in Noida. What a talented man. Honestly, I didn’t come to know how the 2 hours went by. It’s extremely sad and heartbreaking and a huge loss to our industry. I will always remember Raju ji with a smile on my face.
