His humour changed TV forever: An ode to Raju Srivastava, OG stand-up comedian

Humour makes the world a better place. Raju Srivastava had the penchant for finding humour in the most unlikely corners. Born on December 25, 1963 in Kanpur, his modest upbringing often found its way, in an endearing format, in the comic moments he portrayed on screen.

His observation and comic timing of the various aspects of rural life brought his humour a unique candour. Srivastava’s father Ramesh Chandra was a poet who also aspired to be a comedian. Owing to his successful stint in television, Srivastava became a widely known name across households. His humour attracted laughs and applause and made him a mainstay in most award functions and public events.

The Beginning

Srivastava began his career with Sooraj Barjatya’s 1989 hit 'Maine Pyar Kiya'. He was seen in the character of Shambhu in the film that went on to become a blockbuster hit. He went on to star in more films such Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Baazigar’, ‘Bombay To Goa’, ‘Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon’, and comic caper ‘Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya’.

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His foray into television was marked by his cameo in the hit '90s show ‘Dekh Bhai Dekh’. In a show where he shared space with other big names like Shekhar Suman, Sushma Seth, Navin Nischol and Deven Bhojani, the comedian stood his ground, and kept the laughs coming. He went on to star in shows such as ‘Tea Time Manoranjan’ and ‘Shaktimaan’.

The Breakthrough
While Srivastava was active in the entertainment industry since the 1980s, his breakthrough moment was when he appeared on the comedy show ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’ in 2005. An instant success with millions of viewers hooked on to their TV screens enjoying the humour made Srivastava pretty much a household name. The fictional character ‘Gajodhar’ which Srivastava used for his humour became synonymous with his persona.

Apart from ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’, Srivastava had appeared on shows such as ‘Big Boss: Season 3’ in 2009 and ‘Comedy Ka Maha Muqabala’ in 2011. In the third season of Big Boss, Raju was hailed by contestants and his wit ensured that the reality show remained one of the most-watched shows. He reached the top eight in the show, however, Vindu Dara Singh emerged the winner. Singh recalled Raju as a happy soul who would make him laugh all day on the reality show.

Comedy apart, Srivastava also dabbled in politics for a short while. In 2014, he contested on a Samajwadi Party Lok Sabha ticket from his hometown Kanpur. However, his tryst with the Akhilesh Yadav-led party was a short one - in a week he returned the ticket and pledged his allegiance to the Bharatiya Janata Party. The actor was also nominated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Swachch Bharat Abhiyaan, a flagship event of the NDA government to enhance cleanliness across the country.
The actor is survived by wife Shikha and his two children Antara and Ayushman.