In an unfortunate incident on Friday, 19 July, comedian Manjunath Naidu—from Chennai, but a regular on the UAE circuit for the last five years—was performing in Dubai, when he collapsed on stage and died, according to a report in Gulf News.

Around 80 people who sat in the audience watched as Naidu complained of sudden anxiety and then collapsed on the stage in the middle of his set. For the first few moments, everyone thought this to be a part of the act. But as three minutes of inactivity passed, fellow performers and the audience both panicked, and rushed to the stage to administer CPR.

Naidu was taken to the hospital, but he had succumbed to a cardiac arrest. The 36-year-old was the last act on the night’s line-up.

A note from his partner, Grace Chng: