Judge on Cooku with Comali; Guinness record cooking marathon; Padma Shri

Damodharan Kothandaraman, known as Chef Damu, was an Indian chef, culinary educator and television personality, a judge on Star Vijay’s Cooku with Comali and host of many Tamil cookery shows. He set a Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon in 2010 and received the Padma Shri in 2025. He died in Chennai on 25 October 2026, aged 72.

Born in Chennai on 3 September 1954, he was the first Indian chef to earn a PhD in hotel management and catering technology.

Life in brief

  1. 1954Born in Chennai, India
  2. 2026 Died in Chennai, India, aged 72

The death report

Published 25 October 2026 Chef Damu, Cooku with Comali judge and Guinness record-holding chef, dies at 72 The Padma Shri chef brought Tamil Nadu's food traditions to television and once cooked non-stop for more than 24 hours. He died in Chennai after a brief illness. Read the full report →

How we confirmed this

How we verify deaths →

In the news

More from this country