Chef Damu, the celebrity chef and television personality known to millions as a judge on Cooku with Comali, has died at the age of 72. Dr K. Damodharan died in Chennai on Sunday, October 25, 2026, after a brief illness.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay called his death a great loss to the culinary arts.
From TTDC trainee to culinary doctor
Damodharan was born in Chennai on September 3, 1954. He studied at the Institute of Hotel Management in Taramani, Chennai, and began his career in 1977 as a management trainee with the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation, going on to senior roles in kitchens and in culinary education. In 2004 the University of Madras awarded him a doctorate in hotel management and catering technology, making him the first Indian chef to earn a PhD in the field.
A record-breaking television cook
He hosted cookery shows on DD Podhigai and private Tamil channels, teaching home cooks in a simple, approachable style and championing traditional Tamil food. In December 2010 he set a Guinness World Record by cooking non-stop for 24 hours, 30 minutes and 12 seconds, preparing 617 dishes. He later led other record attempts, including a 48-foot dosa in Madurai in 2012.
A new generation came to know him as a judge on Star Vijay’s hit comedy cooking show Cooku with Comali.
Padma Shri
The Indian government awarded him the Padma Shri, the country’s fourth-highest civilian honour, in 2025 for his contribution to the culinary arts.