After around 41 days of hospitalisation, Raju Srivastava breathed his last today at the age of 58. He was admitted to AIIMS in Delhi on August 10 after suffering a massive cardiac arrest while working out on a treadmill. He is survived by his wife Shikha and daughter Antara. 

Raju, who shot to fame as Gajodhar Bhaiyya, left his indelible mark in the world of entertainment. From television shows to Bollywood films, he made everyone laugh with his comic timing and played an important role in popularising comedy in showbiz. As we remember him for all the good moments, let's take a look at 10 lesser-known facts about the ace comedian. 

1. Raju Srivastava was born as Satya Prakash Srivastava on December 25, 1963. He belonged to a middle-class family in Kanpur.

2. The comedian's father, Ramesh Chandra Srivastava, was a popular poet who was fondly called Balai Kaka.

3. In 1988, he stepped into the world of acting with Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit's Tezaab.

4. He went on to act with Shah Rukh Khan in Baazigar in the role of a college student. He also played a local thug in Salman Khan's Maine Pyar Kiya. Once again, he played a thug in Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya, and got a rather meatier role in Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon.

5. After participating in the Great Indian Laughter Challenge, he catapulted to fame.

6. During his stint, he played a fictional character called Gajodhar and that's how his fans recognised him.

7. He also played a cameo in Shekhar Suman's comedy serial, Dekh Bhai Dekh in 1994.

8. The comedian was also part of India's favourite superhero series, Shaktimaan.

9. It was his stand-up comedy performances that fetched the love of the audience before he became an actor.

10. He was once India's highest-paid comedian.

Rest in peace, Raju! You'll be missed.