Vijayakanth | |
---|---|
16th Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly | |
In office 27 May 2011 – 21 February 2016 | |
Chief Minister |
|
Preceded by | J. Jayalalithaa |
Succeeded by | M. K. Stalin |
Constituency | Rishivandiyam |
Member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly | |
In office 23 May 2011 – 21 May 2016 | |
Chief Minister |
|
Preceded by | S. Sivaraj |
Succeeded by | Vasantham K. Karthikeyan |
Constituency | Rishivandiyam |
In office 29 May 2006 – 14 May 2011 | |
Chief Minister | M. Karunanidhi |
Preceded by | R. Govindasamy |
Succeeded by | V. Muthukumar |
Constituency | Vriddhachalam |
President of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam | |
In office 14 September 2005 – 28 December 2023 | |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Position abolished |
General Secretary of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam | |
In office 1 June 2014 – 14 December 2023 | |
President | Himself |
Preceded by | S. Ramu Vasanthan |
Succeeded by | Premallatha Vijayakant |
President of the South Indian Artistes' Association | |
In office 2000–2006 | |
Preceded by | Radha Ravi |
Succeeded by | R. Sarathkumar |
Personal details | |
Born | Vijayaraj Alagarswami Naidu 25 August 1952 Madurai, Madras State, India |
Died | 28 December 2023 Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India | (aged 71)
Resting place | DMDK Head Quarters, Koyambedu, Chennai |
Political party | Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam |
Spouse |
Premalatha Vijayakanth
(m. 1990) |
Children | 2 |
Occupation |
|
Awards | Padma Bhushan (2024) (posthumous)
Kalaimamani (2001)[1] |
Nicknames | |
Vijayaraj Alagarswami Naidu (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 was one of the few artists who worked only in Tamil films in his entire career. He is considered to be one of the Legendary Actors in Tamil Cinema History.
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]