#RIPRajuSrivastav: Here are some lesser-known facts about the King Of Comedy

Comedy actor Raju Srivastav passed away on Wednesday morning after fighting a battle for more than a month. On August 10, the actor was hospitalised after he complained of chest pain while working out at a Delhi gym. The actor was in hospital since then. Despite occasional improvements, his health condition did not stabilise. On September 21, his family broke the news of his demise. He was 58. He is survived by his wife and two children, Antara and Ayushman. 

Here are some lesser-known facts about the actor:

The real name of Raju Srivastav is Satya Prakash Srivastav. He was born on December 25, 1962, in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

Raju Srivastav’s father, Ramesh Chandra Srivastava, was a poet. He is also known as Balai Kaka. 

The comedian’s daughter, Antara, got National Bravery Award from then PM Manmohan Singh in 2006 for saving her mother from four robbers.

He gained his initial stardom from mimicking Amitabh Bachchan

Raju Srivastav debuted in Bollywood with Anil Kapoor’s Tezaab in 1988. Ever since, he has worked in several films, like Maine Pyar Kiya and Toilet: Ek Prem Katha. 

The actor-comedian secured the second runner-up position in The Great Indian Laughter Challenge – a comedy reality show – in 2005.

In 2010, Raju Srivastav allegedly received threat calls from Pakistan. He claimed that the calls came after he cracked jokes on Dawood Ibrahim. 

Along with his wife Shikha, he took part in a dance reality show, Nach Baliye, in 2013.

The actor-comedian had political connections. He contested elections from Samajwadi Party in 2014. Within a few weeks, he moved on to the Bharatiya Janata Party. 

Raju Srivastav was a brand ambassador of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and took part in advertisements for the campaign.