Prominent Tamil actor and DMDK Chief Vijayakanth passed away on December 28 at the age of 71. The actor reportedly tested positive for COVID-19 and was on ventilator support in a private hospital in Chennai. He is survived by his two sons and his wife Premalatha.
Vijayakanth, who was lovingly called Captain by his fans, has been active in the film industry since the late ‘70s and made his debut in 1979’s Innikum Ilamai, in which he played the antagonist opposite Sudhakar. He would go on to play roles in a few more films until his breakthrough in SA Chandrashekar’s Sattam Oru Iruttarai (1981). The film was a major commercial success and was remade in multiple languages. Vijayakanth followed it up with a string of box-office biggies. His brand of revolutionary films about social issues in the state gave him the moniker ‘Puratchi Kalaignar’.
The actor was widely known for films such as Sathriyan, which was produced by Mani Ratnam, and Captain Prabhakaran, the 100th film of Vijayakanth which earned him the moniker ‘Captain’. The actor has also starred in several other hits such as Oomai Vizhigal (1986) and Vaidehi Kathirundhal (1984). He was known for his over-the-top action sequences and social messages in his films. One of his most popular films remains AR Murugadoss's vigilante action drama Ramanaa (2002), in which the actor takes justice into his own hands.
Vijayakanth transitioned to politics in the 2000s and founded the political party Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK). He contested the elections in 2006 and was at his peak when he became the leader of the opposition in 2011. The actor had also founded the Shri Andal Alagar College of Engineering and was the former president of Nadigar Sangam.
Captain Vijayakanth had been undergoing health issues for the past few years and had taken a backseat from politics. The actor was admitted earlier on December 28 for pneumonia, but was tested positive for COVID-19, eventually breathing his last.