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Vijayakanth Death: Tamil Actor And DMDK Founder Dies After Testing Positive For Covid-19
Updated on: 29 December, 2023 12:38 PM IST |Shweta Shah
Tamil actor amd DMDK founder Vijayakanth dies at 71
One of the popular Tamil actors and DMDK founders, Vijayakanth passes away after testing positive for COVID-19. He was 71 when he breathed his last. Vijayakanth was admitted to a private hospital in Chennai for his prolonged illness. He was also put on ventilator support for pneumonia.
Early on Thursday, the DMDK party headquarters announced that Vijayakanth had been tested positive for COVID-19 and was put on ventilator support. He had been admitted to the hospital on Tuesday.
Due to his prolonged illness, the actor had been in and out of hospitals. In 2017, Vijayakanth traveled to the US for an organ transplant surgery. Unfortunately, his toes were amputated in 2022 due to severe diabetes.
His dedication and perseverance towards acting got him some spectacular roles in movies like Karuppu MGR and Puratchi Kalaignar. Fans fondly called him Captain after his 100th blockbuster, Captain Prabhakaran.
Over the years, Vijayakanth delivered some incredible performances and stellar movies that entertained us thoroughly. He even won several awards, like the Filmfare Award for Amman Kovil Kizhakale in 1986 and the Tamil Nadu government`s award for Senthoora Poove in 1988.
In 1984, he became the only actor in the Tamil film industry to have acted in the leading role in 18 films. The commercial blockbuster Sattam Oru Iruttarai, starring Vijay and Vijayakant, was even remade in Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi.
Over his successful career of over three decades, Captain ruled the Tamil cinema with movies like Vaidegi Kathirunthal, Amman Kovil Kizhakale, Oomai Vizhigal, Cooliekkaran, Uzhavan Magan, and Poonthootta Kavalkaaran, among others.
His political party saw a massive rise after he collaborated with Jayalalitha`s AIADMK in 2011. The actor even won 29 out of 40 seats. Vijayakanth himself contested the campaign and became the leader of the opposition.
As an NDA ally, the Tamil superstar campaigned extensively for Prime Minister candidate Narendra Modi, which eventually brought him closer to the national leadership.
PM Modi took to Twitter and expressed his condolences on Vijayakanth`s death. His tweet read, "Extremely saddened by the passing away of Thiru Vijayakanth Ji. A legend of the Tamil film world, his charismatic performances captured the hearts of millions."
Radio City extends heartfelt condolences to the actor`s family. Rest in peace, captain.
Early on Thursday, the DMDK party headquarters announced that Vijayakanth had been tested positive for COVID-19 and was put on ventilator support. He had been admitted to the hospital on Tuesday.
Due to his prolonged illness, the actor had been in and out of hospitals. In 2017, Vijayakanth traveled to the US for an organ transplant surgery. Unfortunately, his toes were amputated in 2022 due to severe diabetes.
Who was Vijayakanth?
Born to a simple family in Madurai as Vijayaraj, he rose to fame in the Tamil film industry alongside superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. What made him a fan`s favorite was his down-to-earth personality.His dedication and perseverance towards acting got him some spectacular roles in movies like Karuppu MGR and Puratchi Kalaignar. Fans fondly called him Captain after his 100th blockbuster, Captain Prabhakaran.
Over the years, Vijayakanth delivered some incredible performances and stellar movies that entertained us thoroughly. He even won several awards, like the Filmfare Award for Amman Kovil Kizhakale in 1986 and the Tamil Nadu government`s award for Senthoora Poove in 1988.
In 1984, he became the only actor in the Tamil film industry to have acted in the leading role in 18 films. The commercial blockbuster Sattam Oru Iruttarai, starring Vijay and Vijayakant, was even remade in Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi.
Over his successful career of over three decades, Captain ruled the Tamil cinema with movies like Vaidegi Kathirunthal, Amman Kovil Kizhakale, Oomai Vizhigal, Cooliekkaran, Uzhavan Magan, and Poonthootta Kavalkaaran, among others.
Vijayakanth and DMDK
Along with his spectacular career in movies, the actor was also known for his contribution as a philanthropist. In 2005, Vijayakanth took a leap of faith by turning his fan clubs into Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK).His political party saw a massive rise after he collaborated with Jayalalitha`s AIADMK in 2011. The actor even won 29 out of 40 seats. Vijayakanth himself contested the campaign and became the leader of the opposition.
As an NDA ally, the Tamil superstar campaigned extensively for Prime Minister candidate Narendra Modi, which eventually brought him closer to the national leadership.
Extremely saddened by the passing away of Thiru Vijayakanth Ji. A legend of the Tamil film world, his charismatic performances captured the hearts of millions. As a political leader, he was deeply committed to public service, leaving a lasting impact on Tamil Nadu’s political… pic.twitter.com/di0ZUfUVWo
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 28, 2023
PM Modi took to Twitter and expressed his condolences on Vijayakanth`s death. His tweet read, "Extremely saddened by the passing away of Thiru Vijayakanth Ji. A legend of the Tamil film world, his charismatic performances captured the hearts of millions."
Radio City extends heartfelt condolences to the actor`s family. Rest in peace, captain.
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