Kesshik on a hilltop in Kodaikanal, arms spread wide

Kesshik

12 September 2008 to 7 September 2026

Cleared for take-off. Car spotter, jet lover, beatboxer, and our boy.

2008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026

Some children look at the sky and see clouds. Kesshik saw runways, flight paths and fighter jets. He could name a car from a glimpse of its tail-light, turn his voice into a speeding bike, and make a whole room laugh. This is his story, year by year, in the photos and videos his family kept.

Years and folders

Jump straight to any year or any folder.

2008

Touchdown!

On 12 September 2008, Kesshik landed at Bethesda Hospital. He came with no instruction manual, but he did come with a lifelong talent for spotting anything with wheels or wings.

18 photos

Photos

Photos

2009

First smiles, first birthday

His first full year, and the biggest folder of baby photos. That cheeky grin started early.

47 photos, 2 videos

Photos

Photos

2010

Cake inspector

Birthdays meant a cake with his name on it, and very serious supervision of that cake.

16 photos

Photos

Photos

2011

Passport stamps

At just two years old, Kesshik went international: Singapore, Malaysia and Dubai, plus beach days back home.

40 photos, 1 video

Beach Dubai Home Malaysia Singapore

Beach

Dubai

Home

Malaysia

Singapore

2012

Already Air Force

Here is the first proof. On a trip to Ooty, three-year-old Kesshik is already in an AIR FORCE T-shirt. The love of jets started very early.

15 photos

Beach Photos Home Ooty

Beach

Photos

Home

Ooty

2013

Beach boy

Pondicherry beach, and the Wonder Seniors class of 2013–14.

10 photos

Photos Pondicherry beach

Photos

Pondicherry beach

2014

The graduate

Cap, gown and a very serious face for his convocation. Later that year: Kodaikanal, a place he would come back to again and again.

12 photos

Convocation Kodaikanal

Convocation

Kodaikanal

2015

Waterfall explorer

Tada Falls, and a boy who could not stay away from the water.

8 photos

Home Tada Falls

Home

Tada Falls

2016

Eight and unstoppable

Birthday celebrations, Ooty again, beach days and Christmas at home.

27 photos

Photos Birthday Beach Home Hotel Ooty

Photos

Birthday

Beach

Home

Hotel

Ooty

2017

The American adventure

His world got bigger: the USA, autumn leaves, snow, train rides, and the view from the top of a skyscraper.

53 photos

Home Train USA

Home

Train

USA

2018

Niagara Falls, Liberty and a helicopter

Niagara Falls, the Statue of Liberty, a bright blue helicopter up close, a snowman, tulip gardens, a Spider-Man costume and a very cool Batman Halloween.

84 photos, 13 videos

Function Halloween Home in the USA Malls in the USA

Function

Halloween

Home in the USA

Malls in the USA

2019

Back home and going viral

Back in India and busy: birthday, Deepavali, the zoo, beach days, temple visits, and the TikTok era, when the entertainer went public.

52 photos, 13 videos

Photos Birthday Deepavali Function Home Hotel Mall Playground Temple TikTok USA Zoo

Photos

Birthday

Deepavali

Function

Home

Hotel

Mall

Playground

Temple

TikTok

USA

Zoo

2020

Twelve

Mahabalipuram, Kodaikanal, beach days and plenty of home videos.

33 photos, 17 videos

Photos Birthday Beach Home Hotel Kodaikanal Mahabalipuram Temple

Photos

Birthday

Beach

Home

Hotel

Kodaikanal

Mahabalipuram

Temple

2021

Growing up

Temple visits and quiet days at home.

7 photos

Home Temple

Home

Temple

2022

Hills and home

Kodaikanal again, and a furry friend at home.

19 photos, 4 videos

Home Kodaikanal

Home

Kodaikanal

2023

Teen mode: activated

Now a teenager: Kodaikanal, malls, movies, and a serious interest in trying new restaurants and the latest dishes.

39 photos, 2 videos

Beach Home Hotel Kodaikanal Mall Movie

Beach

Home

Hotel

Kodaikanal

Mall

Movie

2024

Mountains and movies

Kodaikanal, the beach, the malls and the movies.

45 photos, 1 video

Beach Home Hotel Kodaikanal Mall Movie Temple

Beach

Home

Hotel

Kodaikanal

Mall

Movie

Temple

2025

Seventeen, and full volume

A big year: a theme park trip, Hyderabad, Deepavali, and the beatbox year. There are 93 recordings of him practising, so his phone storage clearly paid the price.

111 photos, 22 videos

Beach Profile pictures Deepavali Function Home Hotel Hyderabad Mall Temple Theme park

His beatbox recordings from this year are in the beatbox section.

Beach

Profile pictures

Deepavali

Function

Home

Hotel

Hyderabad

Mall

Temple

Theme park

2026

The last chapter

His last year was full: Kodaikanal and Thandikudi, an IPL match, the airport, the TVS showroom, Copper Kitchen, a family wedding, Thirupulivanam Temple, a visit to Senchu, and his last movie in the theatre. On 7 September 2026, five days before his eighteenth birthday, Kesshik took his final flight.

291 photos, 28 videos

Airport Beach Profile pictures Function A family wedding His belongings His videos Home Hotel Copper Kitchen IPL match Kodaikanal Thandikudi His last movie Mall Memories Senchu visit Style TVS showroom Thirupulivanam Temple

His beatbox recordings from this year are in the beatbox section.

Airport

Beach

Profile pictures

Function

A family wedding

His belongings

His videos

Home

Hotel

Copper Kitchen

IPL match

Kodaikanal

Thandikudi

His last movie

Mall

Memories

Senchu visit

Style

TVS showroom

Thirupulivanam Temple

The beatboxer

Kesshik's certificate from the Bucephalus International Book of Records, 2026

A record holder, with nothing but his voice.

On 12 April 2026, at Thavam Music Academy in Madurai, the Bucephalus International Book of Records honoured Kesshik Kalyana Venkatesh for beatbox in the Unique Talent Championship 2026.

He did not need a speaker. He was one. His sound library included:

  • A water drop
  • Crows, cows, monkeys, ducks and birds
  • Cars and bikes at full speed
  • Diwali crackers
  • Deep bass drops and mixed beats
  • A helicopter overhead

Watch him

VID 20251103 WA0001
Beat box 3
Beat box car sounds
Beatbox 2
Beatbox 4
Car sounds
Beatbox Original

His recordings

Things he loved

From Amma’s kitchen

Dosai, bread toast with cheese, puri and chapathi, paneer butter masala, sambar, chicken korma, paruppu podi, fried rice with honey chicken, and cucumber (yes, really).

Eating out

Naan and butter chicken, burgers, KFC, pizza, pasta, ghee roast, and any new hotel with the latest dish.

Sweet things

Kinder Joy, Shots, Gems and lollipops. Mini shots, grape, vanilla, blueberry and the Arun butterscotch cone. Cream buns, cheese balls, chips, corn and chaat.

Wings

Army and Air Force aircraft, the F-16, F-18 and M30, propeller planes, passenger planes (he knew the airline and the model), private jets, and the Apache helicopter.

Engines

Nissan GT-R, Toyota Supra, BMW and every luxury car. Kawasaki Ninja and Harley-Davidson. He could identify about 80% of cars from any direction, and kept 60 miniature cars on his shelf.

Game on

GT-R, Spider-Man, car and fighting games on the Xbox and PS4. Pinball, cricket, snooker and flight games on his phone. Ludo, UNO, carrom, Snake and tennis at home, and badminton at Arena Sports.

Happy places

Wonderla and MGM Dizzee World. Uthandi, Besant Nagar and Marina beaches. The Pondicherry resort with the swimming pool. Mom’s house. Kodaikanal, again and again.

On screen

Kamal Haasan, Vikram, Simbu, Ajith, Suriya, Allu Arjun, Jr NTR and Puneeth Rajkumar. Michael Jackson, Paul Walker, Karate Kid and dinosaur movies. Airshows, car shows, flight landings and air crash investigations. Ethan and Cole, Tom and Jerry, comedy, and village and Korean food channels.

Diwali

Bijili, Lakshmi vedi, Kanthara, cracker guns and caps, poondu vedi and auto bombs. Afterwards he beatboxed every one of them.

His look

Formal wear, pant and shirt, or a T-shirt and shorts. Chelsea boots, Crocs and branded shoes. The Army cut from Smart Heads.

Every day

Cycling, playing with the little ones, YouTube and reels, mobile games, watching Air Force flights overhead, heavy-bass music, and beatbox practice anywhere.

Comedy

Vivek and Santhanam, whose best lines he could repeat on cue. His own mimicry of Mukesh and Grandpa.

His people

He was always gentle with small children. Tessa and Tiana, and Ammu and Anand, held a special place in his heart.

His friends: Kumrudin (from badminton at Arena), Viswa, Ahmed Irfan, Mohammed Umar, Farook, Yogeswaran and Sami.

His schools: Euro Kids, Crescent School, Poe Elementary and MAV School. His teachers Ms. Ilakiya and Mr. Jaganathan, and John Sir, the Principal.