'Raju Srivastava spent his life making people laugh.' Twitter mourns Indian telly's comic icon

Actor and comedian Raju Srivastava, who was rushed to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi on August 10, breathed his last on Wednesday. He was 58.

The actor had been under observation and on a ventilator ever since he was rushed to the hospital after suffering a heart attack at a hotel gym. Srivastava underwent angioplasty at AIIMS, but he never gained consciousness.

The comedian was declared dead at 10.20 am on September 21, according to PTI.


"I got a call from the family about half-an-hour ago saying he is no more. It is really unfortunate news. He was fighting in the hospital for over 40 days," Dipoo Srivastava told PTI.

As the news of Srivastava's death got out, the actor's fans and supporters, which included several political leaders, took to micro-blogging platform Twitter to express shock, grief and pay their respects to the star.

Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, called Srivastava an "entertainer par excellence" whose mannerisms and observational comedy truly mirrored the daily life of us Indians.


Film-maker Madhur Bhandarkar paid condolences to the comedian's family and fans. "Saddened to hear the tragic news of Raju Srivastav's untimely demise. He made us all laugh with his amazing comic timing for so many years we has lost a gem. My deepest condolences to his family members & admirers," the film-maker tweeted.


"Deeply shocked and anguished by the untimely demise of Shri Raju Srivastav, one of the finest comedians India had! His humour and years of laughter will always be cherished. My heartfelt condolences and prayers are with the bereaved family. Om Shanti," wrote Baijayant Jay Panda, the national vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).


One fan paid a tribute to the late actor by praising his "Kanpuriya upbringing".

"You brought smiles to millions of faces. I'm a great admirer of your craft. U never crossed d line & were true to ur Kanpuriya upbringing! Coming from the same place, my husband and I had great affection & admiration for you," the Twitter user said.


The praise was echoed by many who praised the comedian for always keeping it clean with his humour and never resorting to abusive or insulting language to deliver a joke.

"Making audiences laugh without using abusive/vulgar words or insulting anybody’s faith, just with sense of humour, timing & mimicry, such things were the speciality of Raju Srivastav," another fan of Srivastava wrote on Twitter.


A familiar face in the entertainment industry since the 1980s, the comedian tasted unparalleled success after participating in the first season of the reality stand-up comedy show ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’ (2005).

Srivastava truly was a comedy king and a well-known name and face in every household in India. "Still, remember our whole family used to enjoy his comedy back in the day and no doubt he is the one who started Indian 'situational comedy' even today's comedians use. Truly a legend. Here is the small clip from my fav act," a fan wrote on the micro-blogging platform as he paid last respects to Srivastava.


He was the chairperson of the Film Development Council Uttar Pradesh. Raju Srivastava had also featured in Hindi films such as ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’, ‘Baazigar’, the remake of ‘Bombay to Goa’ and ‘Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiya’.