📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Chef Damu
Food
Renowned Chef Damu, Padma Shri Awardee and Cooku with Comali Judge, Passes Away at 72
✍️ That Eric Alper
🗓 27 Oct 2026, 04:36 AM
👁 22
Celebrity chef Damu, a Padma Shri awardee and former judge on the Tamil reality show 'Cooku with Comali', died at the age of 72.
Chef Damu, a well‑known figure in Indian culinary circles, died at the age of 72. He had built a reputation as a pioneering chef who popularised regional flavours on national platforms.
The government honoured him with the Padma Shri for his contributions to the culinary arts, recognizing his role in promoting Indian cuisine both domestically and abroad.
In recent years, Damu reached a wider audience as a judge on the Tamil reality series "Cooku with Comali," where his expertise guided contestants and entertained viewers.
His death marks the loss of a respected mentor and media personality whose work inspired a generation of chefs and food lovers across the country.
The government honoured him with the Padma Shri for his contributions to the culinary arts, recognizing his role in promoting Indian cuisine both domestically and abroad.
In recent years, Damu reached a wider audience as a judge on the Tamil reality series "Cooku with Comali," where his expertise guided contestants and entertained viewers.
His death marks the loss of a respected mentor and media personality whose work inspired a generation of chefs and food lovers across the country.