Edited By: Yatamanyu Narain
Last Updated: January 15, 2023, 4:33 PM IST
Antara Srivastava with her late father Raju Srivastava in an old photo.
Antara Srivastav recalls the last time she had interacted with her late father and comedian Raju Srivastav.
Raju Srivastav was one of the most cherished comedians of this country. Loved by many for his rib-tickling jokes, Raju had paved his way to stardom on his own. Thus, his untimely demise was not only a shock to the comic fraternity but for the entire country. Now, his daughter Antara Srivastav has come forward to talk about her last interaction with her father and how the news about Raju Srivastav’s heart attack befuddled her since she thought it was her uncle Kaju Srivastav.
Recalling the last time she had talked to Raju Srivastav, Antara told Times Of India, “Life never tells you that this is going to be the last time. He was out of town for the last 10 days. A day after my birthday, he had shot for Laughter Champion. We celebrated my birthday and he shared the kind of jokes he’d cracked there. A few days after that, he left for outstation. He often went for tours.”
She further shared her initial reaction when she had heard the news about her father being admitted to AIIMS because of heart attack. She stated, “I thought that my chachu (uncle) had suffered a heart attack on August 10, 2022, when my mom called me with this information. I felt there was a mix-up. My chachu’s name is Kaju and in fact, he was very much admitted to AIIMS in Delhi (owing to the accumulation of fluid in his brain) when my father met with a heart attack. In fact, my dad had also made quite a few of his stay arrangements. My chachu was slated to get operated on the same day. And my dad had been shuttling in and out of the hospital, tending to him – and I thought the news of my father’s heart attack was a rumour.”
Raju Srivastava passed away on September 21 at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) hospital in Delhi. He was admitted to the hospital on August 9 following a heart attack. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, actors Ravi Kishan, Shekhar Suman and Vicky Kaushal, and The Kashmir Files director Vivek Agnihotri ad also paid tribute to the late comedian.
Raju Srivastav was a popular name in the comedy circuit. Having starred in a few films in the ’90s and 2000s, he went on to become a household name when he appeared in The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. He went on to star in several other comedy shows, including Comedy Ka Maha Muqabala, Comedy Circus, and Comedy Nights with Kapil.
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