DMDK leader and Tamil film actor Vijayakanth passes away, leaders pay tribute

DMDK founder president Vijayakanth passed away in Chennai on Thursday (28 December 2023). He was 71 years old. It has been reported that he was suffering from corona infection. After being admitted in a hospital on 26 December, Vijayakanth was put on a ventilator. “Despite the best efforts of the medical staff, he passed away on the morning of December 28, 2023,” the Miot Hospital said in a release.

It was said that then DMD chief Vijayakanth was brought to the hospital for a routine check-up after 15 days. In this case, it was said that after Vijayakanth was diagnosed with covid positive. He was put on a ventilator due to difficulty in breathing.

After his death was officially announced, police were deployed outside Moit Hospital and outside Vijayakanth’s house. On hearing the news of Vijayakanth’s death, large number of fans gathered in front of his house and many were seeing crying.

Vijaykanth, also known as Captain, worked predominantly in Tamil cinema. In his film career, he gained popularity for his action-hero roles in the 1980s and 1990s. Some notable films include “Captain Prabhakaran”, “Ramanaa.” and “Chinna Goundar.”

Vijayakanth was born on August 25, 1952, in Madurai. Other than being an actor, he was also a politician. The superstar actor, who acted in about 100 films, was fondly known as Captain following the success of his movie Captain Prabhakaran.

In the realm of politics, Vijaykanth founded the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) party in 2005. He contested in several elections, notably the 2011 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections, where his party emerged as a major opposition. However, subsequent elections saw a decline in DMDK’s political influence.

Vijaykanth  also served as an MLA and was the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. His political journey was marked by alliances and shifts, and his influence varied over the years.

He did not actively participate in party events after his health deteriorated. He was admitted to hospitals on several occasions. He was again admitted to Miot Hospital in Ramapuram, Chennai, with lung infection on November 18. He returned home from the hospital on December 11 after intensive treatment by doctors. After this, Vijayakanth gave a pleasant surprise to the activists by attending the meetings of the DMDK executive committee and general committee. Seeing him, the volunteers shed tears of joy.

Political leaders and film celebrities are condoling his death. “As a political leader, he was deeply committed to public service, leaving a lasting impact on Tamil Nadu’s political landscape. His passing leaves a void that will be hard to fill. He was a close friend and I fondly recall my interactions with him over the years. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with his family, fans and numerous followers. Om Shanti,” Prime Minister Modi posted.