New Delhi, Oct. 25 -- Padma Shri awardee Chef Damodharan, popularly known as Chef Damu, passed away on Sunday at the age of 72 after a period of ill health. He was widely recognised for his culinary work and his role as a judge on the Tamil television show Cooku with Comali.

He became a household name following his appearances on Jaya TV and Star Vijay, and his friendly presence on the programme earned him the affectionate nickname 'Damu Appa' among viewers, according to reports.

His death was confirmed by Media Masons in an Instagram post. The account wrote, "With profound sadness, we pay our respects to Dr. Chef Dhamu, a celebrated culinary artist who made an extraordinary contribution to the world of cooking and inspired countless pe...