KUALA LUMPUR – Tamil film legend and politician Vijayakanth passed away today, following complications arising from pneumonia and Covid-19 in India.
He was 71.
According to the Hindustan Times, Vijayakanth, who is fondly known as “Captain” due to his many portrayals as military characters in numerous movies, was on ventilator support after being admitted to Miot Hospital in Chennai, India.
“Captain Vijaykanth was on ventilatory support following his admission for pneumonia. Despite the best efforts of medical staff, he passed away in the morning on December 28, 2023,” the hospital said in a release.
Earlier, his party, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), which he had led, issued a statement confirming his being positive for coronavirus following tests, in addition to having breathing difficulties.
He leaves behind wife Premalatha Vijayakanth and two sons, Shanmuga Pandian and Vijay Prabhakar Azhagarswami
Vijayakanth was previously admitted to a private hospital in November before being discharged after nearly three weeks of hospitalisation.
According to the Indian Express, on December 14, he made his first public appearance post-discharge to participate in DMDK’s executive and general council meeting.
During the meeting, his wife, Premalatha, was announced as the party’s new general secretary.
Born Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswami in 1952, Vijayakanth began his film career in 1979 and featured in 154 movies (all in Tamil), making a final cameo in the movie Sagaptham in 2015 to pursue politics.
He had founded DMDK in 2005, aiming to be a third force and challenge the dominant parties in Tamil Nadu, such as DMK and AIDMK.
Its debut during the 2006 Tamil Nadu state elections saw the party win a significant number of seats.
However, its best performance was in the 2011 Tamil Nadu state elections, where it won more seats than DMK, making the party the leading opposition party and Vijayakanth the opposition leader between 2011 and 2016. – December 28, 2023