Raju Srivastava
Encyclopedia
Raju Srivastav often credited as Raju Shrivastav or Raju Srivastava, is an India
n comedian
, and more popularly, an observational comedian. He is known most for his acute scrutiny and comical timing about various aspects of Indian life.
. His father is the poet Rameshchandra Srivastava, otherwise known as Balai Kaka.
Being a good mimic, Srivastava nursed the dream of becoming a comedian since childhood. In his school time he used to imitate his teachers. He gained initial stardom as an Amitabh Bachchan
impressionist
. He landed in Mumbai
(then Bombay), and after a few years did a small role in the superhit Rajshri movie Maine Pyar Kiya
. He did many other small roles in a number of movies. Srivastava was a participant on Bigg Boss (Season 3)
, anchored by Amitabh Bachchan.
He has two children, Antra and Aayushmaan, by his wife, Shikha.
, Bappi Lahiri
and Nitin Mukesh
in India and abroad.
His big break, however, was the comedy talent show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge
. He finished as second runner-up and then took part in the spin-off, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge - Champions, in which he won the title of “The King of Comedy”. After that, he was noticed by many filmmakers and got regular assignments in movies with bigger roles. Srivastav has been an avid supporter of good comedy and criticized vulgarity.
Srivastav received threatening calls from Pakistan warning him not to crack jokes on underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Pakistan during his shows in Mumbai. The police had tightened security around the popular comedian after he received threat calls from Pakistan for making fun of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
He participated in Big Boss - 3, the Indian counterpart of the Big Brother. After staying in the house for more than two months he was voted out on December 4, 2009.
'Gajodhar Bhaiya', a fictional name used by Srivastava in his various acts has become a popular character among his fans.
He has also recently participated in the comedy show "Comedy Ka Maha Muqabala",where he played his new character after Gajodher Pinku.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
, and more popularly, an observational comedian. He is known most for his acute scrutiny and comical timing about various aspects of Indian life.
Early life
Satyaprakash Srivastava was born on 25 December 1963, in Kanpur, IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. His father is the poet Rameshchandra Srivastava, otherwise known as Balai Kaka.
Being a good mimic, Srivastava nursed the dream of becoming a comedian since childhood. In his school time he used to imitate his teachers. He gained initial stardom as an Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan
Amitabh Bachchan is an Indian film actor. He first gained popularity in the early 1970s as the "angry young man" of Hindi cinema, and has since appeared in over 180 Indian films in a career spanning more than four decades...
impressionist
Impressionist (entertainment)
An impressionist or a mimic is a performer whose act consists of imitating the voice and mannerisms of others. The word usually refers to a professional comedian/entertainer who specializes in such performances and has developed a wide repertoire of impressions, including adding to them, often to...
. He landed in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
(then Bombay), and after a few years did a small role in the superhit Rajshri movie Maine Pyar Kiya
Maine Pyar Kiya
Maine Pyar Kiya , English: I Fell in Love) is an Indian Bollywood film directed by Sooraj R. Barjatya, starring Salman Khan and Bhagyashree...
. He did many other small roles in a number of movies. Srivastava was a participant on Bigg Boss (Season 3)
Bigg Boss (Season 3)
Bigg Boss Season 3 in 2009 was the third season of the Indian reality TV programme Bigg Boss. It began airing on 4 October 2009 on Colors with Amitabh Bachchan as the host and aired for 84 days concluding on 26 December 2009. Vindu Dara Singh won the show while Pravesh Rana was declared the first...
, anchored by Amitabh Bachchan.
He has two children, Antra and Aayushmaan, by his wife, Shikha.
Career
Srivastav has done stage shows with Kalyanji AnandjiKalyanji Anandji
Kalyanji Anandji is a name used by Indian composer duo known for its work on Hindi film soundtracks, particularly action potboilers in the 1970s. The name comes from first names of the two Gujarati brothers that formed the duo, Kalyanji Virji Shah and Anandji Virji Shah...
, Bappi Lahiri
Bappi Lahiri
Bappi Lahiri or Alokesh Lahiri , born 27 November 1952, is a music director in the Hindi film industry. He pioneered the use of disco music in Indian cinema and sang some of his own compositions. He was popular in the 1980s with films like Disco Dancer, Namak Halaal and Sharaabi among others.-Early...
and Nitin Mukesh
Nitin Mukesh
Nitin Mukesh is an Indian singer best known for his work as a playback singer in Hindi films as well as Bhajans. He was born to Mukesh...
in India and abroad.
His big break, however, was the comedy talent show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge
The Great Indian Laughter Challenge
The Great Indian Laughter Challenge is one of the very successful reality shows on Indian television. It is a competition of stand up comedians that is presented on STAR One...
. He finished as second runner-up and then took part in the spin-off, The Great Indian Laughter Challenge - Champions, in which he won the title of “The King of Comedy”. After that, he was noticed by many filmmakers and got regular assignments in movies with bigger roles. Srivastav has been an avid supporter of good comedy and criticized vulgarity.
Srivastav received threatening calls from Pakistan warning him not to crack jokes on underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Pakistan during his shows in Mumbai. The police had tightened security around the popular comedian after he received threat calls from Pakistan for making fun of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
He participated in Big Boss - 3, the Indian counterpart of the Big Brother. After staying in the house for more than two months he was voted out on December 4, 2009.
'Gajodhar Bhaiya', a fictional name used by Srivastava in his various acts has become a popular character among his fans.
He has also recently participated in the comedy show "Comedy Ka Maha Muqabala",where he played his new character after Gajodher Pinku.
Actor
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Tezaab Tezaab Tezaab , released on 11 November 1988, is an Indian Hindi movie. This was the movie that gave actress Madhuri Dixit her first big break and reaffirmed Anil Kapoor's status, after a successful Mr India .The film was directed by N. Chandra. The music is by Laxmikant-Pyarelal... |
Extra | |
| 1989 | Maine Pyaar Kiya | Extra | |
| 1993 | Baazigar Baazigar Baazigar is a 1993 Indian Hindi film directed by Abbas-Mustan. Inspired by the novel A Kiss Before Dying, it is a contemporary thriller about a young man who stops at nothing to get what he wants. The film shocked its Indian audience with an unexpected violation of the standard Bollywood formula,... |
College Student | |
| 2001 | Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiyaa Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiyaa Aamdani Atthani Kharchaa Rupaiyaa is a 2001 Zee Cine Awards nominated Bollywood comedy film directed by K. Raghavendra Rao starring Govinda, Juhi Chawla and Tabu. This was the remake of the hit Telugu film Kshemanga Velli Labanga Randi... |
Baba Chin Chin Choo | |
| 2002 | Waah! Tera Kya Kehna Waah! Tera Kya Kehna Waah! Tera Kya Kehna is a 2002 Bollywood comedy film directed by Manoj Agrawal starring Govinda and Raveena Tandon.-Plot:... |
Banne Khan's assistant | |
| 2003 | Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon is a 2003 Bollywood film by Sooraj R. Barjatya and a production by Rajshri. The film is a remake of the 1976 film Chitchor and features Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan in the lead roles... |
Kareena's servant | |
| 2007 | Big Brother Big Brother (film) Big Brother is a 2007 Bollywood film which starred Sunny Deol and Priyanka Chopra in the lead roles.-Plot:Big Brother is a story set in modern India which revolves around a small middle class family composed of Dev Sharma Sunny Deol, his wife Aarti Priyanka Chopra, his mother Farida Jalal, brother... |
Auto rickshaw driver & Sunny Deol's friend | |
| 2007 | Bombay to Goa Bombay to Goa (2007 film) Bombay to Goa is a Hindi film released in 2007. It stars Indian comedians Raju Srivastava, Sunil Pal, and Ahsaan Qureshi and comic actors Vijay Raaz, Asrani and Tinu Anand among others. The film is a loose remake of film It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World.... |
Anthony Gonsalves | |
| 2010 | Bhavnao Ko Samjho | Daya from Gaya (Money Lender) |
Television
- The Great Indian Laughter ChallengeThe Great Indian Laughter ChallengeThe Great Indian Laughter Challenge is one of the very successful reality shows on Indian television. It is a competition of stand up comedians that is presented on STAR One...
- Bigg BossBigg Boss (Season 3)Bigg Boss Season 3 in 2009 was the third season of the Indian reality TV programme Bigg Boss. It began airing on 4 October 2009 on Colors with Amitabh Bachchan as the host and aired for 84 days concluding on 26 December 2009. Vindu Dara Singh won the show while Pravesh Rana was declared the first...
He was evicted after staying 9 weeks in the show on day 61. - ShaktimanShaktimanShaktimaan, is a fictional Indian television superhero created by Nirmal Jani and telecasted on Doordarshan, India's national television network. It was first aired on September 13, 1997. It has also aired on the Pogo in English, Chutti TV in Tamil and repeated its Hindi telecast on STAR Utsav...
- Tea Time Manoranjan
- Masti TV
- Raju Hazir Ho on NDTV Imagine
- Dekh Bhai DekhDekh Bhai DekhDekh Bhai Dekh was a Hindi sitcom directed by Anand Mahendru, and starring Sushma Seth, Navin Nischol and Shekhar Suman in lead roles. It first aired in 1993. The story revolves around three generations of the Diwan family, who live as an extended family in an ancestral bungalow in the suburbs of...
(Raju has done a few Cameo Roles as an Junior Artist in the Hindi Sitcom aired on Doordarshan in 1993.)