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Vijayakanth

Vijayakanth
Vijaykanth in 2015
16th Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
In office
27 May 2011 – 21 February 2016
Chief Minister
Preceded byJ. Jayalalithaa
Succeeded byM. K. Stalin
ConstituencyRishivandiyam
Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
In office
23 May 2011 – 21 May 2016
Chief Minister
  • J. Jayalalithaa
  • O. Panneerselvam
  • J. Jayalalithaa
Preceded byS. Sivaraj
Succeeded byVasantham K. Karthikeyan
ConstituencyRishivandiyam
In office
29 May 2006 – 14 May 2011
Chief MinisterM. Karunanidhi
Preceded byR. Govindasamy
Succeeded byV. Muthukumar
ConstituencyVriddhachalam
President of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam
In office
14 September 2005 – 28 December 2023
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
General Secretary of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam
In office
1 June 2014 – 14 December 2023
PresidentHimself
Preceded byS. Ramu Vasanthan
Succeeded byPremallatha Vijayakant
President of the South Indian Artistes' Association
In office
2000–2006
Preceded byRadha Ravi
Succeeded byR. Sarathkumar
Personal details
Born
Vijayaraj Alagarswami

(1952-08-25)25 August 1952
Madurai, Madras State, India
Died28 December 2023(2023-12-28) (aged 71)
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Resting placeDMDK Head Quarters, Koyambedu, Chennai
Political partyDesiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam
Spouse
Premalatha Vijayakanth
​
​
(m. 1990)​
Children2
Occupation
  • Actor
  • film director
  • film producer
  • philanthropist
  • politician
AwardsPadma Bhushan (2024) (posthumous) Kalaimamani (2001)[1]
Nicknames
  • Captain
  • Karuppu M.G.R.[2][3]
  • Puratchi Kalaignar[4]

Vijayaraj Alagarswami (25 August 1952 – 28 December 2023), better known by his stage name Vijayakanth, was an Indian actor, film director, film producer, philanthropist and politician. He served as the leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 27 May 2011 to 21 February 2016. He was the founder and second general secretary of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam. A notable figure in the Tamil cinema, Vijayakanth was awarded the Kalaimamani in 2001, the highest civilian award in Tamil Nadu. On 9 May 2024, Vijayakanth was posthumously awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honour.

He acted in over 150 films in his career spanning four decades. He was well known for his performances in Vaidehi Kathirunthal (1984), Amman Kovil Kizhakale (1986), Poonthotta Kaavalkaaran (1988), Senthoora Poove (1988), Pulan Visaranai (1990), Chinna Gounder (1992), Honest Raj (1994), Thayagam (1996) and Vaanathaippola (2000).[5]

He won two Filmfare Awards South and three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.[6][7] For his role in Senthoora Poove, Vijayakanth won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor in 1988. In 1996, he was awarded the Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize for his role in Thayagam. He was also the recipient of two Cinema Express Awards and one Filmfare Awards South. Vijayakanth was one of very few Tamil lead actors to have acted only in Tamil films throughout his career. His films have mostly been dubbed into Telugu and Hindi.

He earned several nicknames from fans and co-stars throughout his career. He was nicknamed "Captain" following his 100th film Captain Prabhakaran (1991). It later alluded to his transformative leadership as president of the Nadigar Sangam (2000–2006), which Vijayakanth was known to have brought out of debt and made into a charitable trust that paid pension to low-income members.[8][9] Vijayakanth was credited in films with the title "Puratchi Kalaignar" (revolutionary artist) for often appearing in roles as a law enforcer, vigilante, or village head.[10] He was often likened to M. G. Ramachandran for his humanitarian work and for supporting impoverished personnel in the Tamil film industry.[11] Vijayakanth was known for his stance on food equality on film sets, demanding that low-wage cast and crew members must be given the same quality meals that he was served.[12] For a few films, he also accepted deferred remuneration to help struggling producers.[13]

He was known for his "open and bold stance" during his political career.[7] After founding the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) in 2005, he served as an MLA twice, representing the constituencies of Virudhachalam and Rishivandiyam respectively from 2006 to 2016. The DMDK saw early success as it won the second-most seats in the 2011 election and Vijayakanth became the leader of the opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, serving until 2016. He remained leader of the DMDK during his health decline and until his death in 2023. In January 2024, he was posthumously awarded India's third-highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan, by the Government of India.[14][15]

  1. ^ "Vijayakanth dies at 71. Tracing Captain's illustrious film and political career". India Today. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  2. ^ Ramanujam, Srinivasa (28 December 2023). "Why is Vijayakanth called 'Captain'? A throwback to the actor's 100th film". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Is Vijayakant reviving the 'Black MGR' image amid COVID-19 pandemic?". thefederal.com. 22 April 2020. Archived from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Captain's curse". theweek.in. 12 June 2016. Archived from the original on 6 July 2019. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  5. ^ Chandar, Bhuvanesh (28 December 2023). "Adios, Captain Vijayakanth: The quintessential cop and crusader on-screen". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  6. ^ "Passing of Tamil Cinema icon & DMDK founder 'Captain' Vijayakanth leaves a void that will be hard to fill: PM Modi". Firstpost. 28 December 2023. Archived from the original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  7. ^ a b "'Vijayakanth was known for his open and bold stance'". The Times of India. 28 December 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Archived from the original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  8. ^ "How actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth earned the popular moniker 'Captain'". Hindustan Times. 28 December 2023. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Vijayakanth (1952–2023): Tamil Nadu loses its Captain". Indian Express. 28 December 2023. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  10. ^ "Difference between a mere actor and a star is a grandiose appellation in the glitzy world of South Indian cinema". The Economic Times. 6 February 2013. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  11. ^ Kannan, Ramya (28 December 2023). "Vijayakant | The actor-politician who was more than just hope for his ardent followers". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Captain Vijayakanth passes away! Here is a recap of the cinematic journey of the inspirational actor". The Times of India.
  13. ^ "Captain... The word suits him for sure!". 21 April 2020. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Padma Awardees List 2024" (PDF). Padma Awards. 25 January 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 January 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  15. ^ K., Janani (26 January 2024). "Actor-politician Vijayakanth awarded Padma Bhushan posthumously". India Today. Archived from the original on 26 January 2024. Retrieved 26 January 2024.

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