Chef Damu, Cooku with Comali judge and Padma Shri awardee, dies at 72
By Siddharth VermaBusiness Correspondent, Peepals Bharat
Representative image: LoggaWiggler / Pixabay
Chef Damu (K. Damodharan), Cooku with Comali judge, Padma Shri awardee and Guinness record holder, died in Chennai on 25 October 2026 at 72.
What Happened
Chef Damu, the Padma Shri-winning chef known to Tamil television viewers as a judge on Cooku with Comali, died in Chennai on Sunday, 25 October 2026. He was 72. His full name was K. Damodharan, and reports said he died after a period of illness. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and several leading chefs paid tribute to him within hours of the news.
Key Facts
- Chef Damu (K. Damodharan) died in Chennai on Sunday, 25 October 2026, aged 72.
- He was a judge on the Tamil cookery reality show Cooku with Comali on Star Vijay from its first season through its seventh.
- He received the Padma Shri, one of India's highest civilian honours, in 2025.
- He held a Guinness World Record, set in 2010, for the longest cooking marathon by an individual.
- Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay called his death a great loss to the field of culinary arts.
- Chefs Sanjeev Kapoor and Venkatesh Bhat were among those who paid tribute.
- The cause of death had not been made public, and funeral arrangements had not been formally announced when the first reports appeared.
Why It Matters
Chef Damu was one of the few cooks in India whose fame came as much from television as from the kitchen. For several years he was a familiar weekend face in Tamil homes through Cooku with Comali, a cookery competition that mixes serious cooking with comedy. Viewers who had never visited a hotel kitchen came to know his manner of judging: patient, gentle and focused on whether a dish was cooked well. Fans of the show often called him "Damu Appa", a sign of the affection he drew from younger viewers in particular.
His career also shows how regional television has changed the image of the Indian chef. Cooking shows in Tamil and other languages have turned working chefs into public figures, and have helped bring traditional home recipes and regional dishes in front of large audiences. Reports on his death described him as someone who carried Tamil Nadu's food traditions onto the small screen.
The national honours he received add weight to that role. The Padma Shri in 2025 placed him among a small group of chefs recognised by the Government of India for their work. His Guinness World Record from 2010, for the longest cooking marathon by an individual, made him known well beyond Tamil Nadu and was recalled by the Chief Minister in his message.
The reaction to his death also reflects how closely Tamil cinema, television and politics are linked. The Chief Minister's tribute came on social media within hours. Chefs from other parts of the country, including Sanjeev Kapoor, joined in, showing that his standing in the profession went beyond one state or one programme. According to one report, fellow chef Venkatesh Bhat shared the news in a video message on Instagram.
| Chef Damu | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | K. Damodharan |
| Died | 25 October 2026, Chennai, aged 72 |
| Best known for | Judge, Cooku with Comali (Star Vijay), seasons 1 to 7 |
| National honour | Padma Shri, 2025 |
| Record | Guinness World Record, longest individual cooking marathon, 2010 |
Impact
Short-term: The makers of Cooku with Comali and the channel are expected to mark his death on air, and fans and fellow chefs are likely to keep sharing memories of his time on the show over the coming days. Details of the last rites are awaited from his family.
Long-term: His death leaves a gap on one of Tamil television's most popular food programmes, where he had been a judge since the first season. His record and his national honour are likely to remain reference points for young chefs in Tamil Nadu who see television and teaching as part of a culinary career.
Who is affected: His family, his students and colleagues in the hospitality trade, the team behind Cooku with Comali, and the large audience in Tamil Nadu and among the Tamil diaspora who watched him on television.
Key Takeaway
Chef Damu, who died in Chennai on 25 October 2026 at 72, was a Padma Shri awardee and Guinness record holder who became a household name in Tamil Nadu as a judge on Cooku with Comali.
Questions and Answers
Who was Chef Damu?
Chef Damu, whose full name was K. Damodharan, was a Chennai-based chef and television personality best known as a judge on the Tamil cookery show Cooku with Comali. He received the Padma Shri in 2025 and held a Guinness World Record for the longest individual cooking marathon, set in 2010.
When and where did Chef Damu die?
He died in Chennai on Sunday, 25 October 2026, at the age of 72. Reports said he had been unwell for some time; the exact cause of death was not made public in the first reports.
What did Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay say about Chef Damu?
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay posted a tribute on X describing Chef Damu's death as a great loss to the field of culinary arts, and recalled his Guinness World Record.
How long was Chef Damu a judge on Cooku with Comali?
He judged the Star Vijay show from its first season through its seventh season, which made him one of the most recognisable faces of the programme.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
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