Remembering Shihan Hussaini: Actor, karate coach, and man who painted Jayalalithaa's portrait with his blood

CHENNAI: Shihan Hussaini, fondly known as 'Hu', passed away on Tuesday at a Chennai hospital after battling blood cancer. A multi-faceted personality, he had been documenting his cancer journey on social media, providing constant updates about his health.

Shihan was not just an actor but also a renowned karate expert and the founder of the Archery Association of Tamil Nadu, where he served as its general secretary. He rose to fame as a karate instructor and was widely known for his extreme acts of devotion toward late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

Shihan made his acting debut in K Balachander's romantic drama Punnagai Mannan, portraying a dancer who mistreats Revathi's character due to her Sri Lankan heritage.

The film’s success led to him being cast as an antagonist in Rajinikanth's Velaikaran and RK Selvamani's shelved Moongil Kottai, where he was set to star alongside Vijayakanth.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, he also worked on the Hollywood production Bloodstone, as well as Tamil films ‘Unnai Solli Kutramillai’, starring Karthik, Vijay's ‘Badri’ and ‘Vedan’, featuring Sarathkumar.

In 2015, he gained national attention when he crucified himself, having his hands and feet nailed to a 300 kg wooden cross as a plea for Jayalalithaa's return to power. A decade earlier, in 2005, he painted 56 portraits of her using his blood for her 56th birthday.

In 2013, he created a frozen blood bust of the leader using 11 litres of blood, including his own. These acts, however, were condemned by Jayalalithaa herself, who urged him to refrain from such extreme displays.

Earlier this month, in one of his final Facebook posts, Shihan revealed that he had donated his body for medical research. He wrote, "Signed it. This will be used for teaching purposes for anatomy to medical students. Was very, very happy to be teaching even after my death. Preparing for death but not giving up."

A few days ago, the Tamil Nadu Government extended financial assistance to the martial arts expert.

His legacy spans across martial arts, cinema, and archery, leaving behind a life filled with passion, dedication, and controversy.

Many film personalities, including Gayathri Raghuram, paid condolences to Shihan. Deputy chief minister of Andhra Pradesh and actor Pawan Kalyan penned a heartfelt note for his martial arts guru and wrote, "May his warrior spirit rest in universal.