Satya Prakash Srivastava (25 December 1963 – 21 September 2022), professionally known as Raju Srivastava and popularly known as Gajodhar, was an Indian comedian, actor, and politician.
He was born in the city of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, in 1963. Ramesh Srivastava, his father, was a poet. Srivastava used to imitate movie stars as a youngster, particularly Amitabh Bachchan.
On July 1, 1993, Srivastava married Shikha from Lucknow. And he has two children Antara and Ayushman.
Works and roles
He relocated to Mumbai in the 1980s and began his career with tiny roles in Bollywood films. He played a tiny role in the Rajshri Productions film Maine Pyar Kiya, as well as minor roles in films like Baazigar and Bombay to Goa.
As an actor and comedian, he starred in the Bollywood film AamdaniAtthanniKharchaRupaiya.
In 2005, she debuted as a stand-up comedian on the talent program The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, finishing as the second runner-up.
He then competed in its spin-off, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge – Champions, and was crowned “The King of Comedy.” With this program, he rose to prominence.
In an interview in 2009, he stated that profanity in comedy acts was a source of concern for him. He thought that comedians should exercise self-control.
In 2010, Srivastav received threats over the phone from Pakistan, telling him not to make jokes about underworld don Dawood Ibrahim or Pakistan during his lectures.
He has performed over 2,800 live engagements by 2009. Raju and his wife were in the sixth season of Nach Baliye, a couples dance competition on Star Plus, in 2013.
He also featured in the Hindi reality television talent show, MazaakMazaak Mein. Srivastav also appeared on Bigg Boss (Hindi Season 3), the Indian version of Big Brother (franchise). Later, he appeared on the comedy show Comedy Ka MahaMuqabala.
Political career
The Samajwadi Party elected Srivastava to the Lok Sabha from Kanpur in 2014. Srivastava, however, returned the ticket on March 11, 2014, stating that he was not receiving enough support from the party’s local units. He has been a member of the Bhartiya Janata Party since 2014.
Admitted In Hospital From 10 August 2022
On 10 August 2022, while working out at the gym, he suffered a heart attack shortly after complaining of chest pain. He underwent an angioplasty and was put on a ventilator.
During his therapy, his brain swelled, and he was also treated by neurologists. His health has been described as critical after the heart attack, and he died on September 21, 2022, while receiving treatment in Delhi AIIMS.
Net worth and source of income
Raju Srivastava’s major source of income was comedy. He has worked in films as well as stage shows and TV series.
He used to charge lakhs for each of his stand-up concerts and did international tours in addition to hosting events and commercial endorsements.
According to sources, his net worth is between Rs 15 crore and Rs 20 crore. According to media sources, Raju Srivastava had a small automobile collection and owned a beautiful Audi Q7.
Author: Divyanshu Yadav
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