Chennai: Chief minister C Joseph Vijay and other political leaders from Tamil Nadu condoled the death of chef Damu.“Through his culinary skills and unique approach, he brought the art of cooking closer to the public through television programmes. He earned a place in the Guinness World Records in 2010 for the longest cooking marathon by an individual and was also honoured with the Padma Shri. His demise is a great loss to the culinary world,” Vijay said in a post on X.TVK minister A Rajmohan visited the home of Damu and paid tributes to him. He said Damu had popularised Tamil Nadu’s traditional dishes across the world.AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami said he was shocked and saddened due to the demise of Damu. “Out of his deep admiration for puratchi thalaivi Amma (the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa), he joined AIADMK as a primary member in 2013,” he recalled. Palaniswami said people will always remember Damu for his cheerful demeanour and the joy he brought to audiences through his television cooking shows.VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan said Damu got a PhD in cooking and was a pioneer in the field in the country. “His demise is a loss for the art of cooking,” he said.
