Vijayakanth was a mass hero of sorts for two decades in Tamil cinema. In the early 2000s, he founded the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) and went on to become an MLA and a Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. The sad news is that he is no more.
Hours after he was diagnosed with pneumonia, the legendary actor breathed his last this morning (December 27) at a hospital in Chennai. The news was shared officially by the hospital management.
Besides being a seasoned actor and a passionate politician, Vijayakanth was a prominent organization man. "Uniting the actors, organizing big shows to raise funds, conducting many welfare activities for those in cinema - the list is endless for the things he did for the industry," says journalist Siddarth Srinivas, writing about his contributions to the Nadigar Sangham.
The 2011 TN Assembly elections marked the peak of his party, which won 29 of the 41 seats it contested in alliance with the AIADMK. However, a rift with Jayalalithaa resulted in the DMDK parting ways with the ruling party.
As a mark of respect, the TN Exhibitors Association today gave a call to all cinema halls in the State to suspend the morning shows. The shows will resume in the afternoon.
