New Delhi: Noted comedian Raju Srivastava was cremated at Nigambodh Ghat in the capital this morning. Amid heavy rains, the comedian was bid a tearful adieu by his family members, friends and fans, who gathered to pay their last respects. Raju Srivastava died on Wednesday (September 21) after his battle in the ICU for over 40 days at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the Capital. He was 58.
Raju Srivastava suffered a heart attack on August 10 while working out at a hotel. He was rushed to AIIMS and underwent angioplasty. Since then, he was on a ventilator and never gained consciousness. The nation mourned his death with fans, friends and politicians including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh, and Arvind Kejriwal among others extending condolences on social media.
Fellow comedian Sunil Pal and Ahsaan Qureshi arrived in Delhi to pay their tributes and last respects. Veteran comedian Surendra Sharma was also spotted at the crematorium.
Sunil Pal told ANI, “Raju Srivastava was today’s, Charlie Chaplin. He was a very hardworking person and use to perform on stage for 2-3 hours continuously. The audience loved to see him perform on stage and he also loved his work. For his entire life, he has already made everyone laugh. If people consider us star performers, then Raju Srivastava was the entire sky. He was our teacher but never made us feel that. Raju Ji was very down-to-earth and a great person. He will always be remembered.”
Late comedian Raju Srivastava’s daughter Antara replied to condolences messages. She reposted some messages and condolences on her Instagram stories with tributes to her father.
The late comedian-actor is survived by his wife Shikha Srivastava and two children – daughter Antara and son Ayushman.
May his soul rest in peace!
