Just before he passed away on Thursday morning, Vijayakanth, popularly known as “Captain,” was receiving ventilator support. Two weeks prior, he had been released from the hospital following a previous stay.
On Thursday morning, December 28, at 71 years old, Vijayakanth, the leader of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) party, passed away in Tamil Nadu.
The DMDK announced on its X (formerly Twitter) account that the man had been diagnosed with COVID-19 and was experiencing respiratory difficulties.
His final ceremonies will take place at the party headquarters in Chennai tomorrow evening.
The DMDK was created by Vijayakanth in 2005, and he was the party’s only successful candidate in the 2006 election for the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly.
The party had a fall in support beginning in the early 2010s, but it did manage to secure 10% of the vote in the 2009 Tamil Nadu Lok Sabha election.
A former actor, Vijayakanth is known by many, even his own party, as “Captain,” thanks to the popularity of the 1991 movie Captain Prabhakaran, in which he portrayed the main role.
State and federal officials expressed their condolences for Vijayakanth’s passing on Thursday.
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and head of the DMK, M.K. Stalin, said on X that “the demise of our dear friend Vijayakanth, fondly known as Captain by Tamil people, is a loss to Tamil Nadu and the film world.”
“His final journey will be given full state honours as a tribute to Vijayakanth,” he continued.
Vijayakanth’s passing was lamented by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “A superstar in the Tamil cinema industry, his endearing portrayals won over millions of fans.” He had a long-lasting influence on Tamil Nadu’s political climate as a political leader who was devoted to serving the public good.
According to reports , Vijayakanth required “pulmonary support” when he was admitted to the hospital last month. He was released from the hospital two weeks ago.
On December 14, he went to his final public event, where his spouse, Premalatha, the DMDK treasurer, was chosen as the party’s general secretary.
[…] DMDK was created by Vijayakanth in 2005, and he was the party’s only successful candidate in the 2006 election for the Tamil Nadu […]