Shihan Hussaini, an actor, karate legend and archery exponent, died at the age of 60 on Tuesday morning while battling blood cancer at a private hospital in Chennai, his family said. Mr Hussaini, who was known affectionately known as 'Hu', had been documenting his cancer journey by giving constant updates on his social media accounts.
According to a statement by his family, Mr Hussaini's body will kept at the High Command - his residence at Besant Nagar in Chennai - for the family, his students, and others to pay their tribute. The body will then be taken to Royapettah Ameerunisa Burial ground at 4 pm today where the final rites will be performed.
The family also appealed to all archers to come to the funeral 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 Hussaini had decided to donate his body for further medical research.
Mr Hussaini was the founding father of the Archery Association of Tamil Nadu and its serving general secretary.
Expressing grief, the association's spokesperson, Ashwin Kumar Iyer, said, "With profound grief, The Archery Association of Tamil Nadu (TAAT) announces the passing of Shihan Hussaini, the founding father of the association and its serving general secretary, at 1.45 am. He succumbed to blood cancer after a courageous battle, leaving behind an irreplaceable void in the world of archery. He was the driving force behind the establishment and growth of archery in Tamil Nadu."
"Through his relentless efforts, he transformed the sport from a niche pursuit into a thriving discipline, producing numerous champions who have represented the state and country with distinction," he added.
Mr Hussaini shot to fame through his achievements as a Karate instructor and his controversial feats.
One of his most sensational acts was when he performed a self-crucifixion act in 2015 - where he had his hands and feet nailed to a 300 kg wooden cross as a plea for former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's return to power.
In 2005, he had painted 56 portraits of Ms Jayalalithaa using his own blood for her 56th birthday. In 2013, he created a frozen blood bust of the leader using 11 liters of blood, including his own. These acts were even condemned by Ms Jayalalithaa who had advised him to refrain from performing them. Later on, he had unveiled a 22-foot bronze statue of Pope John Paul II, sculpting statues of Indian-origin astronaut Kalpana Chawla, and painting former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa's portrait using pig's blood.
Another sensational act was when Mr Hussaini allowed 101 cars to be driven on his right hand and broke 5,000 tiles and 1,000 bricks in succession. He also survived being bitten by a venomous cobra. Mr Hussaini had also once set himself on fire with 140 liters of petrol.
In the 1980s, Mr Hussaini was falsely accused of being a Sri Lankan terrorist and was jailed for 10 days at Tihar jail.
Mr Hussaini made his acting debut in 1986 with actor Kamal Haasan's movie 'Punnagai Mannan'. He became a part of many movies such as Bloodstone, Unnai Solli Kutramillai, Badri, Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal, Chennai City Gangsters, and Vedan.
