Shihan Hussaini

Career

Shihan Hussaini first became well-known as a karate instructor and later founded a school dedicated to training young martial artists. His entry into films came with K. Balachander's romantic drama Punnagai Mannan, where he played a dancer who mistreats Revathi's character due to her Sri Lankan background. The movie's popularity led to offers for villain roles in Rajinikanth's Velaikaran (1987) and R. K. Selvamani's shelved project Moongil Kottai, which also starred Vijayakanth. Around the late 1980s and early 1990s, he took part in the Hollywood film Bloodstone (1988), the Karthik-led Unnai Solli Kutramillai (1990), and the Sarathkumar-starrer Vedan (1993). He also worked on Naadodigal with Khushbu and Ravichandran's Santharpangal, but neither movie ever came out. Hussaini played the lead in My India, sharing the screen with Swathi and Vani Viswanath. His last film appearance was in Badri, where he portrayed Vijay's fitness coach and helped create the "Travelling Soldier" song. In March 2014, he announced he was preparing a film called Mudivu, while denying claims that he had been asked to appear in Gautham Vasudev Menon's Yennai Arindhaal (2015). Back in 1998, he helped arrange security for Kamal Haasan during the production of Marudhanayagam and at the premiere shows of Shankar's Jeans (1998). A loyal supporter of politician Jayalalithaa, Hussaini painted 56 portraits of her using his own blood to celebrate her 56th birthday in 2004. In February 2013, he displayed a bust of her face made from frozen blood, saying he had gathered 11 litres of blood, mixing his own with donations from his archery students, including women. Unbothered by those who called his actions sycophantic, he insisted his devotion to the politician was ordinary. In February 2015, Hussaini had himself crucified while wearing a T-shirt reading "Amma," hoping Jayalalithaa would win her upcoming elections. He stayed hanging for over six minutes after his helpers drove six-inch nails through his hands and feet. Once the four nails were slowly removed, he was taken by ambulance to a hospital's intensive care unit. Observers widely labeled his behavior as "foolish." In 2016, he was working as an archery coach and as the founder and general secretary of the Archery Association of Tamil Nadu, the only state archery body recognised and affiliated with the Tamil Nadu Olympic Association and the Archery Association of India. Hussaini also worked as a chef and hosted a television show on Mega TV called Athiradi Samayal.