Satya Prakash Srivastav, alias Raju Srivastav was a popular TV host, comedian, film actor and politician. Raju took stand-up comedy door to door. He specialised in finding humour in everyday situations. At one point India’s highest-paid observational comedian, he even performed abroad. It was always a laugh riot around him.
He had artistic traits rooted in him and despised vulgarity urging comedians to practice self-regulation. As youngster, he loved to mimic film stars, especially Amitabh Bachchan. He donned the same hairstyle and put up his posters in his room. At school, he mimicked his teachers and at home mimicked Indira Gandhi by listening to her voice on the radio, as there was no TV at home. While everyone would laugh, his mother would remind him that life as a clown would not work.
Getting paid ₹ 50 for a performance at a neighbour’s home, sparked the urge to pursue stand-up comedy as a profession and acting in films and TV. Comedy as an art was not appreciated then. Many of his relatives, unhappy with his decision, felt it would dishonour the family.
Born in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur in a middle-class family, his father Ramesh Chandra Srivastava, was an acclaimed part time poet and government employee. Completing his education, Raju moved to Mumbai in the 1980s to fulfill his dreams and saw extreme ups and downs, even working as an auto driver.
He shaped his career at events impersonating Amitabh Bachchan. Later, his first audio jokes cassette Hasna Mana Hai, gained a lot of attention. He also took to writing, performing stand-ups.
He made his Bollywood debut with Tezaab in 1988 and went on to act in 30 films, in miss and blink but memorable roles which included Baazigar, Journey Bombay to Goa: Laughter Unlimited, Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon, Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya, Maine Pyar Kiya, Big Brother, Barood: (The Fire) – A Love Story’, and Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017), Abhay, Firangi, and Big Brother.
On T.V., Raju was seen in Dekh Bhai Dekh, Shaktimaan, Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain, and Happu Ki Ultan Paltan and Tea Time Manoranjan.
In 2005, Raju participated in a stand-up comedy show called The Great Indian Laughter Challenge – Season 1 on TV. That’s where he evolved as Gajodhar Bhaiyya, (the name of his barber when young), he was the second runner up. He later won the title of The King of Comedy in its spin-off show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge – Champions. He went on to do more than 2,800 live shows.
In Bigg Boss 3, in 2009 he got evicted after two months. In 2013, Raju along with his wife participated in Nach Baliye season 6, a couples’ dance reality show. He was also seen in popular shows like Comedy Nights with Kapil and The Kapil Sharma Show, Gangs of Haseepur, Mazaak Mazaak Mein, a Hindi reality television talent competition and Comedy Ka Maha Muqabala. He was last seen on the comedy show India’s Laughter Champion on 30th July 2022 as a special guest.
In 2010, Raju’s take on Dawood Ibrahim went viral and got him death threats. In 2021, he got a call from Pakistan to stop making fun of Pakistan.
Raju was fielded by the Samajwadi Party in 2014 for the Kanpur Lok Sabha seat but he quit and joined the BJP. Appointed the brand ambassador of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the Chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council, he was allotted a 106-acre plot in Varanasi for a Film City. Raju’s net worth was around ₹20 crore through hosting, advertising, reality shows and stage shows.
Raju was admitted to AIIMS Hospital in Delhi after a heart attack on 10th August, when working out at a gym. After an angioplasty, he was put on ventilator for 42 days, but passed away. Raju leaves behind wife Shikha, a daughter and a son.
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A. Radhakrishnan is a Pune based freelance writer, poet and short story writer.
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