Vijayakanth, a renowned Tamil actor and founder-leader of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) political party died at the age of 71 in Chennai on December 28. A press release by The Madras Institute of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (MIOT International), revealed that Vijayakanth had been admitted for pneumonia and was on ventilatory support. Despite the best efforts of the medical staff, he passed away on Thursday morning. 

Before beginning his political career in 2005, he was a successful actor and producer known for his work in Tamil Cinema. He is known for acting mostly in Tamil movies throughout his acting career. Known for working in films of various genres, he was a thorough action hero who would single-handedly manage to defeat his enemies as shown in his movies. 

Born as Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswami, he changed his name to Vijayakanth upon entering the film industry and debuted with the film, 'Inikkum Ilamai' in 1979. The film failed at the box office and got negative reviews. After working in several low-budget films that did not do well, he got his first big break in 1981. Directed by S. A. Chandrasekhar, he starred in 'Sattam Oru Iruttarai' which was based on the inadequacies of the legislature and went on to become a commercial success. The film inspired several other Tamil movies that were based on the law system and were majorly directed by Chandrasekhar. 

Vijayakanth acted as a police officer in more than 20 films and even portrayed an antagonist in several films widening his horizon as an actor. In the 90s, Tamil cinema saw his rise as an action hero and soon became a household name. He made his mark with a cop flick titled 'Sathriyan', produced by none other than the legendary Mani Ratnam. The movie showcased the battle between an honest cop and a corrupt politician, and it became a super hit.

After the success of his movie 'Pulan Visaranai', Vijayakanth teamed up with director R. K. Selvamani and producer Rowther to work on a project titled 'Captain Prabhakaran'. This movie was special for Vijayakanth as it was his 100th film. His portrayal of an IFS officer earned him the nickname 'Captain', and he became the only actor after M.G.R, Sivaji Ganesan, and Jayalalithaa to have a silver jubilee hit in his 100th film.

The success of Captain Prabhakaran was followed by a string of hits such as 'Maanagara Kaaval', 'Moondrezhuthil En Moochirukkum', and 'Chinna Gounder'. In the latter, Vijayakanth surprised his fans by playing a soft-spoken village chieftain, which was a departure from his usual tough-guy roles.

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His impressive performance in Chinna Gounder earned the movie third place in the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film. Vijayakanth went on to work in several other successful movies such as ‘Bharathan’, ‘Thai Mozhi, 'Kaviya Thalaivan', 'Koyil Kaalai', 'Ezhai Jaathi', 'Sakkarai Devan', 'Rajadurai', and 'Enga Muthalali'.

Vijayakanth's contribution to Tamil cinema is undeniable, and his movies continue to be loved by audiences to this day. The movie 'Virudhagiri' (2010) was directed and acted by Vijayakanth. It was a remake of the 2008 French film, 'Taken'. Following a five-year hiatus from films, Vijayakanth made a cameo appearance alongside his son, who was making his debut as an actor, in the movie 'Sagaptham' (2015). His versatile body of work in Tamil Cinema earned him the title of  ‘Puratchi Kalingar’ (revolutionary artist) in the Tamil film industry.

Also Read: Tamil Actor Vijayakanth Passes Away: Film Industry And Fans Pay Tribute To His Legacy | RIP Captain