Photo source:Indya101
Chennai, Dec 28: Renowned Tamil actor and founder-leader of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), Vijayakant, passed away at the age of 71 on Thursday morning in a private hospital in Chennai. He had been on ventilator support due to pneumonia. Vijayakant is survived by his wife Premalatha and sons Shanmuga Pandian and Vijaya Prabhakaran. The actor, known for his down-to-earth persona, rose to fame in the Tamil film industry, earning monikers such as ‘Karuppu MGR’ and ‘Puratchi Kalaignar.’ Fans affectionately called him ‘Captain’ after his 100th hit film, ‘Captain Prabhakaran.’
Earlier on Thursday, the party headquarters announced Vijayakant’s positive Covid-19 diagnosis, leading to his hospitalization and subsequent demise. Throughout his career, the actor had battled prolonged illnesses, including undergoing organ transplant surgery in the US in 2017 and amputation of his toes due to diabetes in June 2022. Vijayakant, an acclaimed actor, received several awards, including the Filmfare award for ‘Amman Kovil Kizhakale’ in 1986 and the Tamil Nadu government’s award for ‘Senthoora Poove’ in 1988.
Vijayakant transitioned from the film industry to politics in 2005, transforming his fan clubs into the DMDK. His political journey saw significant success in the 2011 elections when the DMDK, aligned with Jayalalithaa’s AIADMK, won 29 out of 40 seats, making Vijayakant the leader of the opposition. As an NDA ally in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he extensively campaigned for PM candidate Narendra Modi, earning praise from Modi himself. Vijayakant continued his political ventures, joining the People’s Welfare Front in 2016, where he projected himself as the chief ministerial candidate. His last public appearance was at the DMDK general council meeting in December 2022, where his wife Premalatha was appointed as the general secretary of the party.
