Vijayakanth dies at 71. Tracing Captain's illustrious film and political career

Actor-politician Vijayakanth, who was fondly called Captain, was a formidable force in the Tamil film industry. On December 28, he died due to pneumonia at a private hospital in Chennai. He was 71 and was one of the most loved actors and politicians in Tamil Nadu.

Vijayakanth's death came as a huge shock to everyone in Tamil Nadu. Here's a look at his illustrious career.

VIJAYAKANTH'S PERSONAL LIFE

Vijayakanth was born as Vijayaraj Alagarswami to his parents, KN Alagarswami and Aandal Azhagarswami, on August 25, 1952. He is survived by wife Premalatha and two sons, Vijaya Prabhakaran and Shanmuga Pandian.

He hailed from Madurai and predominantly acted in Tamil films. His movies were dubbed in Telugu and Hindi. He was given the title 'Puratchi Kalingar' (revolutionary artist). Throughout his career, he was popularly known for playing patriotic roles in films.

Vijayakanth was called one of the most dedicated artists in Tamil cinema and a great human being. He always helped people who knocked on his door.

HIS EARLY LIFE AND CAREER

He made his debut in 1979 with MA Kaja's 'Inikkum Ilamai' and tasted success two years later with SA Chandrasekhar's 'Sattam Oru Iruttarai'. He acted as a dutiful police officer in many films. After playing the lead role in 'Captain Prabhakaran', the 100th film of his career, he earned the title, 'Captain'.

Back in the 80s, he played revolutionary roles. Initially, he played the role of a villain and earned a lot of love from fans. After 'Om Shakti' in 1982, he ventured into the commercial space by playing the lead role. In 1984, he had almost 18 releases and became a record holder. He also starred in the first 3D film from Kollywood titled 'Annai Bhoomi 3D'.

Some of his popular films include 'Naane Raja Naane Mandhiri and 'Amman Kovil Kizhakkale', among other projects.

Eventually, he became Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth's competitor in Tamil cinema. He also shared screen space with stalwarts including Sivaji Ganesan.

VIJAYAKANTH - THE ACTION HERO

After venturing into commercial cinema, Vijayakanth belted out hit films and was also known for his gravity-defying stunts. In the 90s, he starred in many crime thrillers. One of his famous cop films is 'Sathriyan', which was produced by Mani Ratnam.

Vijayakanth was also a celebrated hero in the rural areas of Tamil Nadu, thanks to the village-based films he was a part of. In 1992, he starred in the iconic 'Chinna Gounder', which is considered a classic ever today.

Some of his superhit films in the 90s include 'Sethupathi IPS', 'Honest Raj', 'Ulavuthurai', 'Periyanna' and 'Kannupada Poguthaiya'.

In the 2000s, he continued to be part of successful films, including 'Vaanathai Pola, 'Narasimha' and 'Thavasi'. It was AR Murugadoss' 'Ramanaa', which catapulted him to fame in the 2000s. He played the role of a crusader against corruption. In his three-decade-long career, Vijayakanth never said no to experimental films and played versatile roles in Tamil cinema.

After he ventured into politics in 2005, he paid less attention to his film career.

VIJAYAKANTH'S POLITICAL CAREER

On September 14, 2005, Vijayakanth announced the formation of his political party, Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) in Madurai. In just a year, he was regarded as one of the important leaders in the Tamil Nadu assembly election. He won one seat and 10 per cent of the vote share.

He was also appreciated for not asking for donations for his party and claimed that he was spending money from his pocket. Eventually, DMDK contested without any alliance and proved their mettle in the Local Body election as well.

In 2011, he joined forces with All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and contested in 41 constituencies. They contested in 41 seats and won 29 of them. That year, DMDK won more seats than DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam). Over the years, Vijayakanth and Jayalalithaa of AIADMK had a fallout. In the 2014 parliament election, DMK had an alliance with the BJP and other small parties. It is said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned him in one of the political meetings and called him his friend. However, soon, he lost his Leader of Opposition post in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.

In 2016, Vijayakanth suffered a massive defeat as he lost his deposit and his seat in the election.

AWARDS AND ACCOLADES

In 1994, Vijayakanth won the Tamil Nadu State Film Honorary Award, followed by the prestigious Kalaimamani Award in 2001. The same year, he won the Best Indian Citizen Award. He won several Best Actor awards for his performances in Tamil films.