Legendary Indian comedian-actor Raju Srivastava has passed away aged 58 after over 40 days of hospitalization following a cardiac arrest.
Citing hospital sources, PTI reported that Raju Srivastava was declared dead at 10:20am on Wednesday.
“I got a call from the family about half an hour ago saying he is no more,” the comedian’s brother told the news agency.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, celebrities and Srivastava’s friends from the industry took to social media and mourned the loss of the ace comedian.
“Raju Srivastava brightened our lives with laughter, humour and positivity. He leaves us too soon but he will continue to live in the hearts of countless people thanks to his rich work over the years. His demise is saddening. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti,” Narendra Modi tweeted.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also expressed his grief over the demise of the artist. "Raju Srivastava is no more with us. I, on behalf of the people of UP, pray that his soul rests in peace. I extend my condolences to his family,” read his tweet.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who once shared the stage with Raju Srivastava on a comedy show, condoled the actor-comedian's death and said he had learned a lot from him.
"#Raju Srivastav ji made us laugh a lot in his life but today it is very sad to hear this news ? worked a lot with him and also learnt a lot. Raju ji may not be with us physically but his performance will always remain alive in our hearts. We'll miss you ‘Gajodhar Bhaiya'," he said in a tweet.
Gajodhar Bhaiya was a character developed by Srivastava, who was a huge fan of Amitabh Bachchan and chose to pursue acting as a career after seeing him on screen.
The legendary comedian suffered a heart attack while working out in a gym on August 10.
He was immediately taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi.
He underwent angioplasty the same day and was placed on life support.
He did not regain consciousness for more than a month despite rigorous efforts to save him.
Raju Srivastava, who had been working in the entertainment business since the 1980s, rose to fame in 2005 after taking part in the inaugural season of the reality stand-up comedy series “The Great Indian Laughter Challenge”.
He worked in films like “Maine Pyar Kiya”, “Baazigar”, a remake of “Bombay to Goa” and “Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiya”.