Kalari instructor dies mins after performing for YouTube

CHENNAI: A 29-year-old martial arts trainer collapsed and died, within minutes of giving interview and performing for a Youtube channel at his martial arts school in Valasaravakkam on Sunday.

K Giridharan, an exponent of the south-Indian martial art, Kalari ran his own school, Kalariyil Kshathriya for the past six and half years and has been a Kalari instructor and practitioner for more than a decade. Recently, his institute also opened classes in Vellore.

According to Giridharan’s associate, he was scheduled for an interview with the popular Youtube channel on Sunday morning. “There was no problem during the shoot. Giridharan and his students performed Kalari moves and were interviewed, ” the associate said DT Next.

Around 9.30 am, after the interview crew left, Giridharan collapsed. His students rushed him to a private hospital in Porur, where he was declared brought dead.

Maduravoyal police on information secured Giridharan’s body and sent it for post-mortem examination. The body was handed over to the family members on Monday, after which the final rites were held.

Police said that preliminary reports after the autopsy suggested Giridharan died of natural causes and they are awaiting post mortem results to ascertain the cause of death. According to police sources, he was practising vigorously for the past few days ahead of the interview.

According to his associates, apart from being a martial arts instructor, Giridharan also stood for social causes like eradicating seemai karuvelam trees.

Giridharan was unmarried and lived at his martial arts school with the students, while his mother and elder brother stayed at Mylapore. Further investigations are on.