New Delhi: Raju Srivastav has been the face of Indian stand-up comedy for years. The comedian passed away on September 21 while he was undergoing treatment following a cardiac arrest in AIIMS. He was hospitalised for over a month, while his fans prayed for his health.
He gained popularity from a stand-up comedy show called Laughter Challenge. Since then his humourous punch lines and the characters he brings to the stage have won many hearts, and the character of ‘Gajodhar’ became a household name. He was well known for his observational comedy, commenting upon people’s behaviour on several occasions such as marriage, road accidents, etc.
Raju made everyone laugh at his hilarious jokes with strong punch lines and fine timing. As we remember one of India’s greatest comedians, relive his top 5 stand-up performances:
1. Whan Raju Srivastav mimicked Lalu Prasad Yadav in front of him
Not just mimicking common people, Raju was at top of his game when it came to politicians. Mastering the art of satire along with mimicry, he did a Lalu in front of Lalu. At an event organised by India Today in 2012, Raju did an eight-minute long performance where he made everyone, including politician Lalu Prasad Yadav laugh out loud.
2. Gajodhar reviews the Oscar-winning film ‘Slumdog Millionaire’
While ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ won the Academy award, Raju’s iconic character Gajodhar bhaiya had a unique take on the film. Srivastav explained the film and made everyone laugh at an award show.
3. Behen ki shaadi (Sister’s wedding)
Arguably, this act is Raju Srivastav’s one of the best acts at ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’. He gave an insight into a brother-sister relationship in rural India and made everyone go ROFL with his detailed observations.
4. Photographer to celebrities
In this five minutes long set at the Umang 2013, he talked about being a photographer to a celebrity. It would surely have been a night to remember for all the police officers and celebs present at the TV show. In this set, he fired up one punch line after another and made people laugh continuously.
5. When Raju mimicked animals
His talent was not just limited to certain boundaries. He pushed the boundaries of creativity and brought something out of the box every time he took the stage. In an act at the Laughter Challenge, he mimicked animals and won the hearts of not only the judges Navjot Singh Sidhu and Shekhar Suman, but rather the hearts of the whole of India.
