Comedian Raju Srivastava passes away

Comedian and actor Raju Srivastava passed away in Delhi on Wednesday, as per news agency ANI. He was 58. 

Raju was admitted to AIIMS in Delhi on August 10 after he suffered a heart attack following his gym routine. His trainer immediately took him to the hospital. Over the past few days, the comedian's health had witnessed significant fluctuations. On August 25, Raju finally regained consciousness around 8:00 am. On September 2, Raju was put on ventilator again after he ran a mild fever of about 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Raju shot to fame as a stand-up comic on The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. His relatable comic material and impeccable mimicry skills made him a household name. He appeared in Bigg Boss 3, hosted by Amitabh Bachchan, and a string of Bollywood films including Baazigar, Bombay to Goa, Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Firangia and others. He joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2014 after quitting the Samajwadi Party.