Comedian - A term that we often tend to associate with someone who can make you laugh.
Given the punch-down trend of comedy today, especially stand-up comedy (except a few honorable exceptions like Amit Tandon), Raju ji was a much bigger, better star from another league.
He was at par with the Johnny Lever's and Surendra Sharma's of his time. This post is a tribute to the man who was more than just a comedian.
Of course, I cannot claim to know too much more about Raju ji. Like most people, I was also aware of only his comic talents, his great mimicry style, and not to forget, his unique ability to personify even the inanimate objects or the most dull situations.
Be it his hilarious take on flood-reporting by news reporters or the ROFL-worthy bits on observations at weddings or his performance of preaching as a gangster-turned-baba, each act was legendary and a comedy masterclass in itself. And obviously, these are just a few standout performances, it's by no means an exhaustive list.
The thing with Raju ji was that he never descended to the level of making comedy crass or below-the-belt. None of that could ever pass off as humor in his book. Every single act was something that the entire family could understand, enjoy, and watch on repeat.
Mimicry was another forte - where he could effortlessly pull off a Dharmendra, Jeetendra, Mithun, Johnny Lever, Shatrughan Sinha, even Shashi Kapoor, among many more. Besides, who can ever forget Amitabh Bachchan? His AB mimicry was on par with Sudesh Bhosle. No one else can ever come even close.
And then, there were those cute observations and one-liners on different authentic characters that he would pull from the common man - be it his sketches of an overexcited sister-in-law or the typical simpleton villager like Gajodhar, Sangattha, Baijnaath, each sketch was a treat to watch. Again, you could identify with the observations and marvel at his talent without needing any break.
But even more than all his talents, his best quality that I figured in these last few days was that he remained a genuine and true person, straight from his heart. It has been alleged that he was chucked out of The Kapil Sharma show because he criticized Bharti for consuming (and/or possessing) drugs. While the allegation may or may not be true, he is reported to have criticized Bharti only because he wished her well. There are also reports of many other comedians and artists who have shared that during their days of struggle, Raju ji had always lent his support to them in every way, including financial support.
Thanks to Saurabh Pant's podcast, in case you are also a fan, you can watch this memorable conversation of Raju speaking about his journey and the story behind some of his performances in this video.
Rest in peace, Raju ji. You went away too soon but your work will continue to live with us as some of our fondest memories. You will always be an immortal star for us.
You were a wonderful, lovely, and loveable soul who always brought happiness to everyone. May the Almighty also keep you happy and at peace, always.
Om Shanti.
