Shihan Hussaini, a 60-year-old actor and martial arts instructor, died late Monday night at a private hospital after a battle with cancer.
Shihan Hussaini’s mortal remains are kept at his residence in Kalashetra Colony today for public tributes. His students said that the family was yet to deliberate on the final rites.
Shihan Hussaini is a Karate exponent who made his debut in films in 1986 with K Balachander’s Punnagai Mannan as part of the cast featuring Kamal Hassan. This was followed the next year by a villainous role in Rajinikanth’s Velaikaran, and in the successive years, several more films with Karthik, Sarathkumar, and Vijay were released.
Shihan Hussaini is well known for his karate expertise and demonstrated his strength by allowing 101 cars to drive over his right arm and smashing 5,000 tiles and breaking 1,000 bricks continuously. He founded a school for young martial arts competitors.
Shihan Hussaini could also make headlines for his controversial acts when he “christened” himself by nailing hands and legs to a wooden cross for six minutes and later created paintings and a statue of his favorite political leader and erstwhile chief minister “with his blood.”
Earlier this month, Shihan Hussaini was diagnosed with cancer, and his students, friends, and fans kept themselves updated through his posts about his health, including his ICU admissions, until the last day of his life.
Shihan Hussaini publicized a message during his illness that mentioned his wish to donate the body to the Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research after his demise.
The Archery Association of Tamil Nadu founded by him instructed that all the students of HU pay respects to him while coming to his place in their archery uniforms.
An actor, karate legend and archery exponent, Shihan Hussaini died at the age of 60 on Tuesday morning in a private hospital in Chennai where he was battling blood cancer, according to family sources. Mr Hussaini, known affectionately as ‘Hu’, updated his journey with cancer and communicated through his social media accounts those around him.
According to the family, the body of Mr Hussaini will be kept at the High Command his residence at Besant Nagar in Chennai for the family, students and others to pay their last respects before it will be taken for burial at the Royapettah Ameerunisa Burial ground today at 4 pm.
The family also requested all archers to come for the farewell in their uniforms.
“Karatekas come in your Gi. Students are requested to be at High Command by 12 pm,” they said on Mr Hussaini’s Facebook account.
Days before his death, Mr. Shihan Hussaini had decided to donate his body towards further medical research.
Mr. Shihan Hussaini was the founding father of the Archery Association of Tamil Nadu and its serving general secretary.
According to the spokesperson for the association, Ashwin Kumar Iyer, “With great grief, The Archery Association of Tamil Nadu (TAAT) announces the death of Shihan Hussaini, the founding father of the association and its serving general secretary, at 1:45 am. After a long and brave battle with blood cancer, he has left behind an irreplaceable void in the world of archery. He was the mainstay behind the establishment and development of archery in Tamil Nadu.”
“He made it a great sport through his efforts, converting this arcane activity into a well-suited field, producing so many champions for the state and country,” he added.
Mr.Hussaini was widely known through his achievements and his highly celebrated acts.
One of his biggest celebrity stunts was when he self-crucified in 2015 by having his hands and feet nailed to a 300-kg wooden cross in a strange demand for former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa’s return to power.
In 2005, he also painted 56 pictures of Ms. Jayalalithaa, using his own blood to commemorate her 56th birth anniversary. In 2013, he made a frozen bust of the leader in blood, out of 11 liters, among which was his blood as well.
Such acts actually came up as a problem for Ms. Jayalalithaa, who warned him not to repeat them. Later on, he unveiled a 22-foot bronze statue of Pope John Paul II, sculpted statues of Indian-origin astronaut Kalpana Chawla, and painted the portrait of ex-Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa, using the pig’s blood.
Another sensational act was when Mr. Hussaini allowed 101 cars to go over his right hand in a row, breaking 5,000 tiles and 1,000 bricks one after the other.
He survived being bitten by a poisonous cobra. He also once set himself on fire after dousing himself with 140 liters of petrol.
In the 1980s, Mr. Hussaini was branded a terrorist from Sri Lanka, wrongfully accused and jailed for 10 days in Tihar Jail.
Mr. Hussaini entered acting in 1986 in ‘Punnagai Mannan’ starring Kamal Haasan and also featured in many films, including Bloodstone, Unnai Solli Kutramillai, Badri, Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal, Chennai City Gangsters, and Vedan.
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