Actor and former judge Shekhar Suman recalled Raju Srivastava's hesitation before joining the inaugural season of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, saying Raju feared embarrassment if he didn't win. Though Suman felt Raju deserved first place for his observational humor, Raju finished third behind winner Sunil Pal and runner‑up Naveen Prabhakar, and was deeply hurt by the result.
