Tamil actor and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) founder-leader Vijayakanth passed away in Chennai on Thursday, December 28, at the age of 71. Vijayakanth’s death was confirmed by the officials of MIOT Hospital where he was on ventilator support as he was suffering from pneumonia.
Widely known as ‘Captain’ due to his portrayal of military roles on screen, Vijayakanth before venturing into politics featured in 154 movies and brought revolutionary changes to the South film Industry by holding a position at Nadigar Sangram which is officially known as South Indian Artistes Association (SIAA). In 2005 he founded Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK). A year later the party’s first electoral debut was made in the 2006 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. He has also served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly twice, representing the Virudhachalam and Rishivandiyam constituencies