Tamil Actor and Politician Vijayakanth has passed away at the age of 71 after being on a ventilator due to Covid. He was admitted to a private hospital in Chennai. His passing has come as a huge shock to the Tamil film fraternity and his fans.
Vijayakanth, born as Vijayaraj Alagarswami on August 25, 1952, to KN Alagarswami and Aandal Azhagarswami, was married to Premalatha and is survived by two sons, Vijaya Prabhakaran and Shanmuga Pandian.
Regarding his filmography, he began his career in the Tamil film industry, later having his movies dubbed in Telugu and Hindi. He was known for portraying patriotic roles and was given the title of ‘Puratchi Kalingar’ (revolutionary artist). He made his debut in the late 70s with the movie ‘Inikkum Ilamai,’ but found success with SA Chandrasekhar’s ‘Sattam Oru Iruttarai.’ Notably, he frequently portrayed the character of a police officer and earned the title ‘Captain’ in his 100th film, ‘Captain Prabhakaran.’
Initially cast as a villain, he gained popularity among fans and transitioned to lead actor roles. He also starred in Kollywood’s first 3D film titled ‘Annai Bhoomi 3D.’ Some of his popular films include ‘Naane Raja Naane Mandhiri’ and ‘Amman Kovil Kizhakkale,’ among others.
He eventually became a competitor to actors like Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth in the Tamil cinema industry. He shared screen space with stalwarts like Sivaji Ganesan. In the 2000s, he played pivotal roles in movies such as ‘Vaanathai Pola,’ ‘Narasimha,’ and ‘Thavasi.’ However, AR Murugadoss’ ‘Ramanaa,’ released in 2002, became a massive hit.
Throughout his three-decade career in films, he never turned down any roles and was unafraid to experiment, solidifying his place among the top actors.