Narayana Reddy, an Indian cook whose YouTube channel, Grandpa Kitchen, garnered more than six million followers with videos of him preparing gargantuan amounts of food to feed orphaned children and other hungry people, died on Oct. 27 in India.
His death was confirmed in a video on his channel, but no other details were provided. Local news media reported that he was 73 and that he lived in the southern state of Telangana.
Mr. Reddy began the Grandpa Kitchen channel in 2017 by posting videos that followed a straightforward formula: adorable children, heartwarming music, inspirational sayings and seemingly absurd amounts of food.
The food Mr. Reddy made came from many different culinary traditions, and he invariably grinned as he explained the recipes and prepared the food. Episodes began with the motto “Loving. Caring. Sharing. This is my family.”
Working outside over an open fire, Mr. Reddy and his helpers, often his relatives, prepared mountains of chicken and lamb biryani and enough macaroni and cheese to fill an inflatable kiddie pool. Several times he made pizzas the size of small trampolines.
In the two years that Mr. Reddy posted on YouTube, he fed dozens, if not hundreds, of children, and his videos have been viewed more than 626 million times. His channel also accepts donations through the website Patreon “to provide basic necessities like food, clothing, school supplies and birthday gifts to the orphans.”
Information about his immediate survivors was not available. A grandnephew, Srikanth Reddy, told CNN that Mr. Reddy’s extended family “will continue his work.”
Suhasini Raj contributed reporting.
