Captain Vijaykanth Dies at 71: Having been born and raised in the 90s, Vijaykanth for me was always associated with the title Captain. Although I realised that the real reason Vijaykanth was called Captain soon enough, he was always referred to as Captain at home, in school, and in public spaces. So much so that when the news of his death flashed on my screen, one of the first messages I sent to my father was, ‘Captain passed away.’ Vijaykanth was significant in the Tamil Nadu political circles. But he was a bigger star on the screen.
He began his career as an actor in 1979, making two films in his debut year. He began his Tamil film industry journey Inikkum Ilamai, directed by M. A. Kaja. Vijaykanth kicked off his career playing the villain in the film. He then starred in Agal Vilakku, directed by R. Selvaraj, which marks his first film in the leading role. Having done two roles that were poles apart, Vijaykanth had signaled to the Tamil film industry that he could do any kind of role if given a chance. And boy, the Tamil film industry heard him loud and clear!
The actor went on to do several films in the 1980s, including Sattam Oru Iruttarai (1981) (remade in Hindi as Andhaa Kaanoon in 1983 starring Amitabh Bachchan) Vaidehi Kaathirundaal (1984), Nooravathu Naal (1984), Oomai Vizhigal (1986), Amman Koil Kizhakkaalae (1986) and Poonthotta Kaavalkkaaran (1988), among many others. Most of the themes of his films included a one-man army that takes down terrorism, corruption, and injustice in a massy avatar. He often appeared in the role of a police officer in his films. While he was making a mark in the industry with these films, it was his 1991 film Captain Prabhakaran that truly turned the tide for him.
Why was Vijaykanth Called Captain?
Playing the role of IFS officer, Captain Prabhakaran marked his 100th film and eventually earned him the moniker of ‘Captain.’ The film also starred Mansoor Ali Khan, Rupini, Livingston, and Ramya Krishnan, and was a hit. Following the film, Vijaykanth did several other films. By 2010, Vijaykanth had done over 150 films, his last being Virudhagiri in 2010 in which he played the role of a police officer yet again.
He forrayed into politics after that and dedicated the rest of his life to it. He founded the political party, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), and posed as a tough competition to AIADMK leader J Jayalalithaa and DMK president M Karunanidhi.
Vijayakanth was admitted to the hospital for a regular health check-up on Tuesday this week. At the time, the DMDK party said their leader was “healthy” and would return home after the tests. However, The 71-year-old actor turned politician was put on ventilator support after testing positive for Covid-19. MIOT International, the hospital where Vijayakanth was admitted, said he was battling pneumonia and passed away on Thursday morning.
“Captain Vijayakanth was on ventilatory support following his admission for pneumonia. Despite the best efforts of the medical staff, he passed away in the morning on December 28, 2023,” the hospital said in a press release.
Vijayakanth had been facing health issues since November, due to which his wife, Premalatha Vijayakanth took charge as the general secretary of DMDK on December 15.
Rest in Peace, Captain.
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