An Indian stand-up comedian collapsed and died on stage during a routine about anxiety in front of a sold-out crowd in Dubai, leading audience members to think it was part of his performance.

Manjunath Naidu, 36, was performing at a hotel in Al Barsha Friday night when he suffered a fatal cardiac arrest mid-performance. Naidu was reportedly telling the audience about suffering from a high level of anxiety when he sat down on a bench and collapsed to the floor.

Audience members reportedly laughed as Naidu fell, thinking it was part of the performance. However, when the comic failed to move for about three minutes, hotel staff began administering CPR. Emergency services were called to the scene but could not revive him.

“He went on stage and was making people laugh with his stories. He was talking about his father and family. And then he got into a story of how he suffers from anxiety. And a minute into the story he collapsed,” Miqdaad Dohadwala, his friend and fellow comedian, told the Khaleej Times.

Naidu was a well-known comedian in the United Arab Emirates, having performed regularly around the country for five years. Fans have been paying tribute to the ‘gentle giant’ who they described as a talented actor and comedian.

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