Vijayakanth Dies: Indian Actor & Politician Was 71
Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswami, best known by his screen name Vijayakanth, has died at the age of 71.
A popular figure in Tamil cinema and leader of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam political party, Vijayakanth had been unwell for some time and died December 28 after recently testing positive for Covid.
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Vijayakanth appeared in 154 films and earned the moniker “Captain” from his 1991 action movie, Captain Prabhakaran.
India’s prime minister Narendra Modi was among those who paid tribute to Vijayakanth. He said: “Extremely saddened by the passing away of Thiru Vijayakanth Ji. A legend of the Tamil film world, his charismatic performances captured the hearts of millions.
“As a political leader, he was deeply committed to public service, leaving a lasting impact on Tamil Nadu’s political landscape. His passing leaves a void that will be hard to fill. He was a close friend and I fondly recall my interactions with him over the years. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with his family, fans and numerous followers.”
Vijayakanth is survived by his wife Premalatha and sons Shanmuga Pandian and Vijaya Prabhakaran.
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