Renowned culinary icon chef Damu dies

Chennai: Renowned culinary expert and television personality K Damodharan, popularly known as Chef Damu, died at a private hospital here on Sunday following a period of ill health. He was 72.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay expressed profound grief over the chef’s demise. Praising his unique approach to taking culinary arts to the masses through television, CM Vijay, in a post on X, said, “Damu’s demise is a great loss to the culinary field. I express my deep condolences and sympathies to his bereaved family, relatives, friends, and fans who love culinary arts.”

Damu, who began his journey washing dishes, rose to become a celebrated figure in the Indian culinary landscape. His exceptional contributions to the culinary arts earned him the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2025. In December 2010, he etched his name in the Guinness World Records by cooking 617 dishes in a continuous session lasting over 24 hours. For television viewers, he was best known as the warm and encouraging judge on the popular Tamil reality show ‘Cooku th Comali’.

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The Hans India