KUALA LUMPUR: Popular Indian comedian Raju Srivastava died of a heart ailment yesterday. He was 58.
The Times Of India reported yesterday that Raju died 41 days after being admitted to the All India Institute Of Medical Science (AIIMS) in Delhi.
Raju's nephew Kushal Srivastava said: "Despite showing improvements in health a few days ago, my uncle's health took a turn for the worse yesterday. His entire family is here. We haven't decided on the last rites yet."
Raju, who was born in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, shot to fame in the 1980s, but attained greater fame in 2005 after participating in the first season of the stand-up comedy show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge.
He starred in films such as Maine Pyar Kiya, Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya and Main Prem Ki Deewani Hoon and served as chairman of the Film Development Council of Uttar Pradesh.
Raju is best known for impersonating Bollywood film stars, such as Amitabh Bachchan.
Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a message of condolences to Raju's family via Twitter.
He said: "Raju Srivastava brought a lot of joy, laughter and positivity to our lives. He demise is a great loss for India, but he will live on in our hearts."
Raju is survived by his widow Shikha Srivastava and two children.