CHENNAI: Actor and martial arts instructor Shihan Hussaini, 60, passed away on Monday night at a private hospital after a battle with cancer.
Hussaini’s mortal remains are kept at his house in Kalashetra Colony on Tuesday for public honours. Family members were still discussing plans for the last rites, his students said.
Hussaini, a Karate exponent, made his acting debut in 1986 through K Balachander’s Kamal Hassan starrer, Punnagai Mannan. He went on to act as a villain in Rajinikanth’s Velaikaran the following year, besides several other movies sharing screen with Karthik, Sarathkumar, and Vijay in the next few years.
He rose to fame through his achievements as a karate instructor, when he showcased his strength by allowing 101 cars to be driven on his right hand and by breaking 5,000 tiles and 1,000 bricks in succession. He set up a school to help young martial arts fighters.
He hit headlines for some controversial acts when he “crucified” himself by nailing his hands and legs to a wooden cross for six minutes and later painted pictures and a statue of his favourite political leader and former chief minister J Jayalalithaa with his blood.
After being diagnosed with cancer earlier this month, HU, as he was popularly called by his students, kept his health status, including ICU admissions, updated for his students, friends and fans through his social media posts until the last day.
While battling cancer, Hussaini posted a message stating his body will be donated to the Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education amd Research donated after his death.
The Archery Association of Tamil Nadu (TAAT), he founded, asked HU’s students to pay respects to him at his residence in their archery uniforms.