Vijayakanth, the founder of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), was laid to rest at his party headquarters in Koyambedu, Chennai with full state honour. 72 rounds of gunshots were fired to honour the veteran actor-politician. Many political leaders and celebrities including Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, Ministers TR Balu, Udhayanidhi Stalin, KN Nehru, former CM O Panneerselvam, BJP leader Tamilisai Soundarajan, GK Vasan, and Jeyakumar were present at the funeral. The whole of Koyembedu was jam-packed with people pouring in from different parts of the state to get a last glimpse of ‘Captain’.
Ahead of the funeral, the mortal remains of Vijayakanth were taken for a final journey across the streets of Chennai. People stood on either side of the streets and threw flowers at the vehicle. Vijayakanth’s sons Shanmugha Pandian and Vijay Prabhakaran were on the van thanking the public.
Vijayakanth was laid to rest in a coffin made of sandalwood. “Puratchi Kalaingan Captain Vijayakanth” was engraved on the coffin.
Earlier, Rajinikanth, who was spotted at Tutucorin airport, expressed his condolences. He said, “My heart aches. Vijayakanth was a man with great willpower. Lastly, I saw him at the DMDK’s genral body meeting and thought he would bounce back after battling his health issues. His death is a huge loss to the people of Tamil Nadu.”
The actor added, “If he was healthy, he would have been a formidable force in politics. He would have done so many good deeds for the people. People of Tamil Nadu have now lost him. May his soul rest in peace.”
Vijayakanth, whose original name is Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswami, rebelled against his dad who wanted him to take care of the family business of running a rice mill. He, however, had dreams of becoming an actor and realised it after many struggles in the industry which looked down upon dark-skinned actors and outsiders.
Over the years, Vijayakanth became a formidable force in Kollywood churning out hits that were on par with the films of Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. Captain Prabhakaran, Vaidheigi Kaathirundhaal, Oor Katha Kaavalan, Nooraavathu Naal, Oomai Vizhigal, Naane Raja Naane Mandhiri, Chinna Gounder, Vaanathai Pola, Chatriyan, and Ramana are some of his biggest hits.
The actor, who always had political aspirations and was a believer in Dravidian ideology, made his foray into politics by floating his party in 2008. The start of DMDK became a new chapter in Tamil Nadu as it became the third-largest party in a very short time. Vijayakanth also served as the leader of the opposition between the years 2011 to 2014.
Later, due to a health issue, the actor couldn’t be at his best, which affected the electoral performance of his party. The leadership was later transferred to his wife Premalatha.
Vijayakanth was suffering from a lung-related illness and was admitted to MIOT hospital a few weeks ago. He was discharged on December 11. However, the actor-politician tested positive for coronavirus and was hospitalized again on Tuesday. After being put on ventilator support, Vijayakanth breathed his last on Thursday morning, leaving millions of his fans and followers devastated.
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