Raju Srivastava: Lesser known facts about the Comedy King

Popular comedian-actor Raju Srivastava passed away after battling for life for weeks at AIIMS in Delhi, his family confirmed. He was 58. He was critical and on a ventilator in the intensive care unit (ICU) for 43 days after suffering a heart attack on August 10. While the entire nation mourns the loss, here we list some of the lesser-known facts about the 'King of Comedy'.

Born as Satya Prakash Srivastava on December 25, 1963 in Kanpur, Raju Srivastava was a reputed name in the entertainment industry and was known for his rib-tickling and thought-provoking comedy. Credit: Instagram/rajusrivastavaofficial

While he rose to fame with his participation in the comedy show ‘Great Indian Laughter Challenge' (2005), what many do not know is that he struggled for decades to get a foothold in showbiz. Credit: Instagram/rajusrivastavaofficial

Raju was also attributed as ‘Gajodhar’, a funny character created by him. Credit: Instagram/rajusrivastavaofficial

Before trying his luck on the reality TV show, Raju played small roles in ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’, ‘Baazigar’, ‘Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya’ and several other Bollywood films. Credit: Instagram/rajusrivastavaofficial

Raju also acted in popular TV shows like ‘Adaalat’ and ‘Shaktiman’. Credit: Instagram/rajusrivastavaofficial

Apart from standup comedy, Raju Srivastava was very passionate about acting and mimicking. Credit: Instagram/rajusrivastavaofficial

Raju Srivastava made his showbiz debut with Anil Kapoor's movie 'Tezaab' (1988). Credit: Instagram/rajusrivastavaofficial

Raju Srivastava was fond of legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan and his movies inspired him to make a career in showbiz. Raju started his career by mimicking the voice of Big B. Credit: Instagram/rajusrivastavaofficial

Raju was one of the highest-paid Hindi standup comedians and he had done several shows across the globe. Credit: Instagram/rajusrivastavaofficial

Raju Srivastava was the chairman of the Film Development Council, Uttar Pradesh, and was one of the members who worked round the clock for setting up a film city in UP. Credit: Instagram/rajusrivastavaofficial