VIJAYAKANTH

Vijayakanth – The Captain of Tamil Cinema and Politics

Basic Information

  • Full Name: Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswami
  • Stage Name: Vijayakanth
  • Nicknames: Captain, Puratchi Kalaignar (Revolutionary Artist)
  • Born: August 25, 1952, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Died: December 28, 2023, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  • Occupation: Actor, Producer, Politician
  • Spouse: Premalatha Vijayakanth
  • Children: Vijay Prabhakar, Shanmuga Pandian

Film Career (1979 – 2015)

Vijayakanth was a leading Tamil film actor known for his action-packed roles and patriotic films. He acted in over 150 films and gained immense popularity as “Captain” after his movie Captain Prabhakaran (1991).

Debut and Rise to Stardom

  • Made his debut in Inikkum Ilamai (1979).
  • Gained recognition with Doorathu Idi Muzhakkam (1980).
  • Became a mass hero in the 1980s and 1990s with patriotic and action films.

Notable Films

1980s
  • Sattam Oru Iruttarai (1981) – Breakthrough film, later remade in Hindi
  • Sivappu Malli (1981)
  • Nooravathu Naal (1984) – Psychological thriller
  • Amman Kovil Kizhakale (1986) – Romantic drama, won Filmfare Award
  • Oomai Vizhigal (1986) – Political crime thriller
  • Vaidehi Kathirunthal (1984) – One of his best performances
1990s – Peak of His Career
  • Captain Prabhakaran (1991) – Blockbuster that gave him the title “Captain”
  • Chinna Gounder (1992) – Critically acclaimed village drama
  • Sethupathi IPS (1994) – Superhit cop movie
  • Honest Raj (1994) – Political action film
  • Thayagam (1996) – Patriotic movie
  • Ulavuthurai (1998) – Police thriller
2000s – Continued Stardom
  • Vaanathai Pola (2000) – National Award-winning film
  • Ramana (2002) – Social action film, later remade in Hindi as Gabbar is Back
  • Narasimha (2001)
  • Thennavan (2003)

His last film was Virudhagiri (2010), which he directed and acted in.

Awards and Honors

  • Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor – For Amman Kovil Kizhakale (1986)
  • Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil – For various films
  • Kalaimamani Award – Tamil Nadu Government’s highest artistic honor
  • National Award for Vaanathai Pola (2000) – Best Film on Family Welfare

Political Career

Vijayakanth entered politics in 2005 and founded Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), a party focused on the welfare of common people.

Major Political Milestones

  • 2006 – DMDK contested its first Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and secured 10% of the votes, becoming a strong opposition party.
  • 2011 – Formed an alliance with AIADMK and won 29 seats, becoming the Leader of the Opposition in Tamil Nadu.
  • 2016 – Faced a decline in political influence, but remained a respected leader.

Due to health issues, he reduced his political activities after 2017.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS : 

YOUTUBE : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGNLfVdPRNU&pp=ygUWVmlqYXlha2FudGggbGlmZSBzdG9yeQ%3D%3D