Captain Vijayakanth critical, Cine Industry Prays For His Recovery

Hyderabad: The health of seasoned Kollywood actor Vijayakanth who is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Chennai, is reported to be unstable.  According to a statement from the hospital, the veteran actor is under medical treatment.

A team of doctors is monitoring the health condition of the 71-year-old 'Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam' leader. “His condition is a bit critical, but we hope that he will soon be stable. He was a great humanist, ” says veteran Tamil producer Keyaar who described him as an fearless action star who gained a fan following among Telugus in the 80s and 90s.

“Vijayakanth expanded his fan base in Telugu states with his blockbusters like 'Pulanvisaranai' ‘Captain Prabhakaran,' ‘Sindhoorapandi ‘, ‘Oomai Villigal’ and ‘Managara Kaaval’ which were dubbed into Telugu and minted gold at the box office. His films used to be sold like hot cakes in united Andhra Pradesh since his films are loaded with action besides powerful dialogues questioning the loopholes in the IPC and system as well,” he adds.

He blended action with message and it worked wonders for him. “His hard-hitting Tamil film ‘Ramana’ which exposed fleecing corporate hospitals was remade in Telugu as ‘Tagore’ with Chiranjeevi and it minted big money,” he points out. Kaayaar claims that Vijayakanth aspired to become a stunt master before turning hero. “He was so fascinated with action sequences that he didn’t mind turning a stuntman. But fate had other plans for him and he became an action hero with films like ‘Sattam Oru Irruttu Aarai’, and ‘Chatriyan’ and didn’t look after ever since,” he adds.     

He goes on to add that he used to ensure non-vegetarian food for hundreds of crew members while shooting for his film. “He broke the practice of vegetarian food on the sets and insisted on non-veg items for fighters and dancers along with others since he wanted them to eat well to work hard,” he adds. He also claims that he was called ‘Captain’ by thousands of cine workers because he resolved all their problems. “He was available for cine workers and actors 24/&7 and resolved their woes,” he adds

Talking about his political innings and his party Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam, Kaayar, says, “If not for his ill health, Vijayakanth would have become Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu by now. Since he had a dedicated fan following and also won the hearts of poor and downtrodden with his good deeds and honesty,” he points out.

Despite being a contemporary to Tamil superstars like Rajnikanth and Kamal Haasan, he managed to carve a niche for himself in the 1980s with a slew of blockbusters. “He took a lot of risks to perform dare-devil action sequences to enthrall his fans and also to give his rivals a run for their money. Vijayakanth was also hailed as ‘Junior MGR’ by his fans for his good heart and service-oriented mindset,” he concludes.