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Popular TV personality Raju Srivastava, 58, passed away after battling for his life in the hospital for over a month. The late comedian was undergoing treatment at AIIMS Delhi after he suffered a heart attack on August 10.

After spending his early years in Kanpur, the aspiring comic moved to Mumbai in the ‘80s. Raju Srivastava grabbed his first role in B-wood movie ‘Tezaab’, following which he acted in many other films. (In pic: Srivastava with his wife Shikha)

Despite struggling for decades to get a foothold in showbiz, Srivastava became a popular name in the entertainment industry after he appeared on the ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’ in 2005.

Srivastava was popularly known for his political mimicry. And he spared no one - from PM Modi to Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, his comic acts breached all political boundaries.

Srivastava had impeccable comic timing, and often it would send the audience into raptures during his TV gigs. In an interview with motivational speaker Dr Vivek Bindra, he said, “I proposed to a girl in Shashi Kapoor’s voice. Instead of seeing the message, she was enthralled by my mimicry.”

The laughter king was quite popular for his fictional character ‘Gajodhar’, a funny character created by him. Srivastava said that this character was inspired by a barber in his hometown, Kanpur.

During his stint, Srivastava was among the highest-paid stand-up comedians in the entertainment industry. Despite being a prominent personality in the comedy industry, Srivastava had led a relatively modest life.

Srivastava was a die-hard fan of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan. He not only started his career by mimicking the voice of Big B, but also took inspiration from his movies to make his career in the entertainment world.

Srivastava appeared in Bollywood films including ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’, ‘Baazigar’, ‘Bombay To Goa’, ‘Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rapiya’, etc. He also participated in reality dance shows 'Bigg Boss’ & ‘Nach Baliye’.