The entire Tamil film industry was taken aback by the sudden news of Captain Vijayakanth's passing. The actor-turned-politician passed away on December 28th at the age of 71. Many well-known personalities from the industry, such as Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijay, and others, shared their heartfelt condolences with the actor's family.
On January 5th, actor Suriya Sivakumar visited the late actor’s samadhi to pay his last respects. The actor was shattered as he sat down to spend some time offering his prayers. Later, Suriya also addressed the media, where he reminisced about working with Captain Vijayakanth.
Talking to the media, Suriya revealed that Captain Vijayakanth’s demise has left a deep wound in his heart. The actor also recalled his first instance of working with Vijayakanth in the 1999 film Periyanna. He further mentioned that they interacted and got to know each other for a span of 8 to 10 days.
The actor added that right from the first day, the actor-politician took care of him like a brother, and suggested that they had lunch together, something that was not common for stars to do with newbies. The actor recalled that when Captain saw that he wasn’t eating properly, he fed the Jai Bhim actor from his own plate, and with his own hands. Suriya mentioned that the Arasangam actor told him he has to stay healthy to act.
Furthermore, the Soorarai Pottru actor revealed that Vijayakanth discussed with the film’s dance and stunt choreographers to ensure Suriya had a bigger role. He mentioned that he always looked at Captain with awe. He also mentioned that despite his stardom, Vijayakanth was a very down-to-earth person, and was easy to approach for anyone. Suriya also mentioned his disappointment in not being able to see Captain Vijayakanth one last time during his funeral.
Many famous personalities expressed their sympathies upon hearing the news of Captain Vijayakanth, the founder of the DMDK party, passing away. In recent months, the actor-turned-politician had been admitted to the hospital due to a persistent cough and throat discomfort. It was later revealed that he had contracted pneumonia and tested positive for COVID-19.
It is well-known that Vijaykanth breathed his last on December 28th and is survived by his wife Premalatha and two sons. Several celebrities including Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Vijay and more joined the sea of people, in person, to honor the late actor.