Chennai woke up to sad news on Sunday. Celebrity chef K Damodaran, known to millions simply as Chef Damu, died in Chennai on October 25 at the age of 72 after a period of ill health. The Padma Shri awardee had been undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city for several days.
For Tamil television audiences, Damu was far more than a chef. He was the warm, smiling judge on Vijay TV’s hit cooking reality show Cooku With Comali, the man who explained a tricky technique in simple words, encouraged nervous contestants, and made cooking feel like something anyone could enjoy. Tributes poured in through the day, led by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay, who said the chef’s death was a great loss to the culinary arts.
A household name built on warmth
Damu became a familiar face in living rooms across Tamil Nadu through Cooku With Comali, where cooking challenges met comedy and the judges became stars in their own right. Contestants remember him as gentle and encouraging, never harsh, even when a dish went wrong. Fellow chefs remember him the same way: disciplined in the kitchen, humble outside it, and always ready to teach.
Chef Sheetharam Prasaad, who first met Damu at culinary school more than three decades ago, told reporters that Damu mentored countless young cooks who were ready to give up. “He made a lot of lives better,” he said, recalling a teacher who stayed with his students till the very end.
From hotel management student to record holder
Born in 1954, Damodaran studied at the Institute of Hotel Management in Chennai and began his career in 1977 as a management trainee with the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation. He later moved into teaching and led several hotel management institutions, shaping a generation of hospitality professionals.
In 2004, he earned a PhD in Hotel Management and Catering Technology from the University of Madras, becoming the first Indian chef to receive that doctorate. It was a rare academic honour in a profession that is usually judged only by what lands on the plate.
His appetite for big challenges showed early. In December 2010, he entered the Guinness World Records by cooking 617 dishes, weighing 190 kg in total, in a single marathon session lasting 24 hours, 30 minutes and 12 seconds. It remains the record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual. He also cooked a 14.7 metre dosa in Madurai and took part in preparing the world’s largest curry in Singapore.
The Padma Shri and a life in Tamil cuisine
In January 2025, Damu received the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour, for his contribution to the culinary arts. The award recognised a lifetime spent promoting Tamil cuisine, especially traditional regional dishes and Chettinad cooking, and sharing that knowledge through more than 20 cookbooks and books for catering students.
Beyond television and books, he worked with the Tamil Nadu government on improvements to the school midday meal scheme and trained cooks across the state. For him, food was never only about restaurants or ratings. It was about feeding people well, at home and at school alike.
What the tributes said
In his condolence message on X, Chief Minister Vijay wrote that Damu brought the art of cooking to the people through television programmes. “Through his culinary expertise and unique approach, he brought the art of cooking to the people via television programs. In 2010, he created the Guinness World Record for the longest individual cooking marathon, and he was also honoured with the Padma Shri award. His demise is a great loss to the culinary arts field,” the message said, adding condolences to his family and fans.
Why Chef Damu mattered
- He made cooking accessible: on television, he broke down techniques so simply that first time cooks felt confident enough to try.
- He raised the status of the profession: a PhD, a Guinness record and a Padma Shri showed that a chef’s work deserves academic and national respect.
- He championed Tamil cuisine: his books and shows carried traditional South Indian dishes to audiences far beyond Tamil Nadu.
- He mentored relentlessly: students across the globe counted him as a teacher, and many credit him with keeping them in the profession.
FAQs
Who was Chef Damu?
Chef Damu, or K Damodaran, was a celebrity chef, teacher and television personality from Tamil Nadu, best known as a judge on Vijay TV’s Cooku With Comali.
How old was Chef Damu when he died?
He was 72. He died in Chennai on October 25, 2026, after being unwell for several days.
What was Chef Damu’s Guinness World Record?
In December 2010, he cooked 617 dishes weighing 190 kg in 24 hours, 30 minutes and 12 seconds, a record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual.
When did Chef Damu receive the Padma Shri?
He was awarded the Padma Shri in January 2025 for his contribution to the culinary arts.
Which show made Chef Damu famous?
His appearances as a judge on Star Vijay’s Cooku With Comali made him a household name across Tamil Nadu and beyond.
Chef Damu leaves behind a simple legacy that his students keep repeating: cook with honesty, teach with patience, and never forget the people eating your food. Tamil Nadu’s kitchens will feel his absence for a long time.
