Up-and-coming Indian comedian Manjunath Naidu died of a heart attack while performing in Dubai on Friday.
The 36-year-old collapsed minutes into his performance after complaining of feeling anxious. He was performing an act as part of the Racy Desis show - held at the Clavichord, Signature Hotel - when the tragic incident took place.
Speaking to the Gulf News, Sana Topiwala, an eye-witness who was at the scene, said audience members were shocked and thought Naidu's collapse was part of his act at first.
"He suddenly started to pant and sat down on the bench to catch his breath," Topiwala explained. "Few minutes in, he suddenly collapsed and fell to the ground in front of an audience of 80 people."
After he was down for about three minutes, audience members realized something was wrong and called paramedics. The comedian was transferred to Al Zahra Hospital in Barsha but it was too late to revive him.
Salman Z Qureshi, the comedian who performed right before Naidu and his close friend, said Naidu had no previous health issues but had complained of feeling anxious before he going on stage.
"I had already performed my set and was watching Manju, who was probably 15 minutes into his act before we noticed a dip in his energy," Qureshi said.
"Manju did suffer from post-performance stress but nothing serious. He was always a happy guy. He dreamt big, always taught us to show gratitude for what we have, especially since he lost his parents at a young age," he added.
The young comedian is originally from Chennai and had been participating in stand-up shows in the UAE for the past five years. He was planning on getting married soon.
His friends and fiancée have been left devastated by his tragic passing. As news of his death circulated online, hundreds paid tribute to the comedian and sent condolences to his family.
