'He gave life to my paintings': Friends bid farewell to Sharjah ‘TikTok murder’ victim ahead of repatriation

Sharjah: When Indian expat Jeevan OV last saw his childhood friend Ismail Ponnan Ibrahim Kutty, he was in a coffin at a Sharjah embalming centre on Thursday evening, 11 days after he was fatally stabbed in what has been described as a ‘TikTok war’ that escalated into a street fight.

"He looked different…It has been 11 days. It was painful to just think of his family waiting for his body,” Jeevan told Gulf News after paying his last respects to his friend.

For the world, Ismail has become a name attached to a shocking story: a 40-year-old Indian expat from Kerala who was allegedly stabbed to death in broad daylight on a Sharjah street on May 31 after a heated argument on a TikTok live session.  

As Gulf News first reported, many suspects were arrested within hours, and the case has since been transferred to the Public Prosecution for further investigation.

But for Jeevan, a senior graphic designer and artist based in Sharjah, the reports that came out told only part of the story.

"The Ismail that I knew was not of that kind of person" he said.

"He was never a problematic person. If anything, he was the one who always stepped in to resolve issues, not cause them. I had never heard of him getting into fights."

The two men grew up in the same town in Kerala and studied together for three years in high school. Even after both moved to the UAE, they stayed in touch.

When Jeevan began painting Theyyam, the elaborate ritualistic art form of northern Kerala, and posting time-lapse videos of his work online, Ismail offered to do the voice-overs in Malayalam.

"I loved his voice," Jeevan said.

“I was more than happy when he was ready to give voice for my Theyyam timelapse reels. Many people used to ask me who had done the voice-over in my videos,” he recalled.

The duo also set an example of communal harmony through their joint work as Theyyam is associated with Hindu temples and Ismail was a Muslim.

Ismail recorded voice-overs for more than 35 of Jeevan's reels, irrespective of his own work schedule at a food joint in Dubai’s Karama. Out of more than 60 paintings Jeevan has completed, Ismail had given voice to more than half of them. The rest were still waiting.

"He gave life to my paintings. He was supposed to do the rest. Now he won't. I am so sad."

Jeevan was keen to separate the man he knew from the circumstances of his death. He said Ismail had been at loggerheads with the people who allegedly attacked him on behalf of another friend.

He believes that Ismail was trying to stand up for someone else, not pick a fight for himself. He even felt that the voice in the video clips that have been shared online does not sound like that of Ismail’s.

“I hope the authorities will bring out the true story soon,” he said.

Dozens of people turned up on Thursday to pay their respects to Ismail: friends, neighbours from his hometown and some relatives who live across the UAE. Many offered the Janazah funeral prayer before his remains were sent home.

The mortal remains of Ismail, who was born and died on the same date — May 31 — as per his official records, was flown out of Sharjah on an Air India Express flight at 10.40pm on Thursday night, scheduled to arrive in Kannur, Kerala, at 4.10am on Friday.

His younger brother in Dubai, who had been coordinating the repatriation paperwork, also flew home for the funeral. Ismail, who was a father of an eight-year-old boy, will be laid to rest in his hometown later today.

Salam Pappinissery, CEO of YAB Legal Services, which assisted the family through the process, said all legal documentation had been completed. He also noted that Kerala's Minister for Agriculture, T Siddique, also made an urgent intervention to help expedite the repatriation.

Jeevan said he intends to draw a portrait of Ismail as a tribute, a piece of artwork to honour the friendship.

"He used to experiment with his hair and beard styles. I need to go through his photos and choose a good one."

As for TikTok, Jeevan, who has himself benefited from the platform as an artist, said the case was a stark reminder that how you use a platform matters.

"It depends on how you use it. Some people misuse it and now we know the consequences can be devastating,” he pointed out.