Chef Damu, the Cooku With Comali Judge Tamil Homes Treated Like Family, Dies at 72

For a lot of Tamil households, Chef Damu was the person on TV who made cooking look like fun instead of a chore.

K. Damodaran, known everywhere as Chef Damu, died in Chennai on Sunday, 25 October, after a brief illness. He was 72. He is survived by his wife and daughter. Family sources said his last rites would be held on Monday afternoon. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay was among those who paid tribute.

Cooku With Comali made him a household name

Long before reality TV found him, he had a serious career. But it was Vijay TV's Cooku With Comali that turned him into everyone's favourite judge. The format paired celebrity cooks with comedians, the "comalis", and threw them into chaos. Damu, sitting beside Chef Venkatesh Bhat, was the warm elder in the middle of it all.

His catchphrases, "top-notch" and "fantabulous", became part of the show's language. Venkatesh Bhat, who said the two had worked together for about 15 years, called him a great human being and an inspiration for young people who wanted to make catering a career.

The record and the résumé

The career behind the TV fame was substantial:

• Born in September 1954 in West Mambalam, Chennai

• Started with the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation as a management trainee in 1977, after a hotel management diploma from IHM Taramani

• Went on to a B.Com and an MBA, and was the first Indian chef to earn a doctorate in hotel management and catering technology

• Worked with the Tamil Nadu government on improving the school noon-meal scheme between 2008 and 2011

• Served as president of the South Indian Culinary Academy

In December 2010 he entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest individual cooking marathon. He cooked 617 dishes, around 190 kg of food, in 24 hours, 30 minutes and 12 seconds.

In 2025 he received the Padma Shri, the first chef from Tamil Nadu to be given it.

What he actually taught people

For many fans, what stays isn't the record. It's the recipes. He was passionate about Tamil Nadu's own food, Chettinad cooking especially, and he pushed home cooks to do things properly: grind your own masalas, don't take shortcuts that rob a dish of its flavour.

It has been a hard month for Tamil popular culture. Composer Deva died on 17 October, and now the man who taught a generation of viewers to cook is gone too.

The news has travelled well beyond Chennai. Searches for him spiked in the UK as well as India, a reminder of how many Tamil families abroad grew up with his shows playing in the background.

Frequently asked questions

When did Chef Damu die?

On Sunday, 25 October 2026, in Chennai, after a brief illness. He was 72.

What is Chef Damu's real name?

K. Damodaran. He was widely known as Chef Damu.

What world record did Chef Damu hold?

In December 2010 he set the Guinness World Record for the longest individual cooking marathon, cooking 617 dishes, about 190 kg of food, in 24 hours, 30 minutes and 12 seconds.

When did Chef Damu receive the Padma Shri?

In 2025, for his contribution to the culinary arts.