Raju Srivastava’s nephew says he died due to 2nd cardiac arrest, wife Shikha ‘was praying for him’

Late comedian Raju Srivastava’s wife Shikha Srivastava has said that she really hoped and prayed that her husband would ‘come out of this’. As per a new report, Shikha called Raju ‘a true fighter’. Raju’s nephew Kushal Srivastava said that he died due to a second cardiac arrest. Raju died on Wednesday morning at the age of 58 after more than 40 days of hospitalisation at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi. (Also Read | Raju Srivastava death: Anil Kapoor, Vivek Agnihotri pay tribute to ‘true legend of stand-up comedy’)

Raju was admitted to the AIIMS after suffering a heart attack at a hotel in Delhi on August 10. While working out at a gym, he experienced chest pain and collapsed. He also underwent an angioplasty the same day. He had been on the ventilator since and never regained consciousness.

In an interview with Times of India, Shikha said, “I am not able to talk right now. What can I share or say now? He fought very hard, I was really hoping and praying to see him come out of this. But, that has not happened. All I can say is that he was a true fighter.”

Raju’s nephew Kushal said, “He passed away due to a second cardiac arrest. We were confident till yesterday that all will be well because he had battling it for two months.”

After Raju’s death, his brother Dipoo Srivastava told news agency PTI, “I got a call in the morning saying he is no more. It is really unfortunate news. He had been waging a struggle for life in hospital for over 40 days.”

Several Bollywood celebrities paid tribute to Raju. Ajay Devgn tweeted, “In your lifetime you gifted us laughs & more laughs, on & off the screen… RIP Raju. Om Shanti. May the Almighty give your family strength in this hour of bereavement.” Hrithik Roshan, who worked with Raju in the 2003 film Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon said, “Forever in our hearts. Rest in peace Raju Srivastava Sir. My condolences to the family.”

Shekhar Suman said, “Raju was the funniest man alive. We will all miss him forever. I had the privilege and honour of judging him on many shows including ‘The Great Indian Laughter Challenge’ that catapulted him to unimaginable heights. Long live Raju!” “Raju Srivastava has gone! Hopefully, the lesson that he leaves behind is that irreverence should be our default state. To laugh in the face of authority is a fundamental right. Alvida!” wrote director Sudhir Mishra.

As an actor, Raju featured in Hindi films such as Maine Pyar Kiya and Baazigar, the remake of Bombay to Goa and Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiya. Raju was in the entertainment industry since the 1980s and shot to fame after participating in the first season of the reality stand-up comedy show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge in 2005.