Vijayakanth facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vijayakanth
16th Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
In office 27 May 2011 – 21 February 2016
Chief Minister	J. Jayalalithaa
Preceded by	J. Jayalalithaa
Succeeded by	M. K. Stalin
Constituency	Rishivandiyam
Member of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly
In office 23 May 2011 – 21 May 2016
Chief Minister	J. Jayalalithaa
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	Virudhachalam
President of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam
In office 14 September 2005 – 28 December 2023
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Vacant
General Secretary of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam
In office 1 June 2014 – 14 December 2023
Preceded by	Ramu Vasathan
Succeeded by	Premalatha Vijayakanth
President of the South Indian Artistes' Association
In office 2000–2006
Preceded by	Radha Ravi
Succeeded by	R. Sarathkumar
Personal details
Born	Vijayaraj Azhagarswami (1952-08-25)25 August 1952 Madurai, Madras State, India
Died	28 December 2023(2023-12-28) (aged 71) Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Cause of death	Pneumonia
Political party	Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam
Spouse	Premalatha Vijayakant ​ (m. 1990)​
Children	2
Profession	Film actor director producer politician philanthropist
Awards	Kalaimamani (2001)
Nicknames	Captain, Karuppu MGR, Puratchi kalaignar

Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswami (born August 25, 1952 – died December 28, 2023), known as Vijayakanth, was an Indian politician and actor. He mostly worked in Tamil cinema, which means movies made in the Tamil language. He was famous for his roles in films like Vaidehi Kathirunthal (1984) and Vaanathaippola (2000).

Vijayakanth won two Filmfare Awards South and three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for his acting. In 2001, he received the Kalaimamani award, which is a very high honor in Tamil Nadu. People in the film industry often called him "Captain."

He was also a big name in politics. From 2011 to 2016, he was the Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly. This means he led the main group of politicians who were not in power. He started his own political party, the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK). He was elected as a MLA twice, representing different areas from 2006 to 2016.

Early Life

Vijayakanth was born as Vijayaraj Alagarswami in Madurai on August 25, 1952. His parents were K. N. Alagarswami and Aandal Azhagarswami. He married Premalatha on January 31, 1990. They had two sons, including Shanmuga Pandian, who also became an actor.

Acting Career

Vijayakanth mostly acted in Tamil films throughout his career. His movies were often dubbed into Telugu and Hindi so more people could watch them. He was known as "Puratchi Kalaignar," meaning "revolutionary artist." He often played characters who were patriotic, kind village heroes, or even dual roles.

He was famous for acting in more than 20 films as a police officer. Many of his movies showed him doing amazing stunts, often fighting many enemies by himself. His films often focused on themes like fighting corruption and being honest. He was very dedicated to his work, sometimes working three shifts a day. He also helped struggling film producers by taking less money or even no money for his roles. He didn't tell everyone about this, hoping others would be inspired.

When he started acting, he changed his name to "Vijayakanth." His first film was Inikkum Ilamai (1979). He became very successful with Sattam Oru Iruttarai (1981), directed by S. A. Chandrasekhar. He worked with this director often. In the 1980s and 1990s, he was a popular action star. He got the nickname "Captain" after his 100th film, Captain Prabhakaran (1991).

Early Films (1979-1989)

Vijayakanth's first film was Inikkum Ilamai (1979), where he played a bad guy. Some of his early films were not very successful. However, his movie Doorathu Idi Muzhakkam (1980) was shown at a big film festival in India.

His career really took off with Sattam Oru Iruttarai (1981). This film was so popular that it was remade in several other Indian languages. In his early years, Vijayakanth acted in films that shared strong, revolutionary ideas. He played angry young characters in movies like Sivappu Malli (1981). After playing a villain in Om Shakti (1982), he decided not to play bad guys anymore.

He then started acting in more commercial films, including action, romance, and emotional stories. He became a top actor with hits like Nooravathu Naal (1984) and Vaidhegi Kaathirunthaal (1984). In 1984, he had 18 films released, which was a record for a lead actor in Tamil cinema. He also starred in Annai Bhoomi 3D (1985), which was the first 3D film made in the Tamil film industry.

In 1986, he won a Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil for his role in Amman Kovil Kizhakale. He also appeared in Manakanakku (1986), the only film where he worked with Kamal Haasan. Another important film was Oomai Vizhigal (1986), where he played an older police officer. He became a strong competitor to other big stars like Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. In 1988, he won a Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor for Senthoora Poove.

Action Hero (1990-1999)

In the 1990s, Vijayakanth was known for his action roles. He starred in Pulan Visaranai, a crime thriller that was very popular. He also played an honest police officer in Sathriyan, a film produced by Mani Ratnam.

His 100th film was Captain Prabhakaran (1991). In this movie, he played an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer. After this film, he became known as "Captain." This movie was a huge success. He was one of the few actors, like M.G.R and Sivaji Ganesan, to have a big hit with their 100th film.

He also acted in Chinna Gounder (1992), where he played a gentle village leader, which was different from his usual action roles. This film was highly praised. In 1993, he appeared in many films. He also had a special role in Sendhoorapandi (1993) alongside Vijay. Vijayakanth did not take any money for this role to help Vijay's career.

In 1994, he starred in films like Sethupathi IPS and Honest Raj. For his acting in the action film Thayagam (1996), he won a Tamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize. He continued to star in many action films throughout the decade.

Later Roles (2000-2009)

In the 2000s, Vijayakanth continued his success. His film Vaanathai Pola (2000) was a family drama that won several awards, including a National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. He also acted in action films like Vallarasu and Simmasanam.

In 2002, he starred in Ramanaa, directed by AR Murugadoss. In this film, he played a realistic hero who fought against corruption. This movie was very successful and won a Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Film. In 2003, he had two releases: Chokka Thangam, a family drama, and Thennavan, a political film.

His film Engal Anna (2004) was a comedy-drama that did well. In 2008, his 150th film was Arasangam, where he played a police officer solving a terrorist plot. In 2009, he received a Filmfare Top 10 Legends of Tamil Cinema Award for his long career.

Final Projects (2010-2015)

Vijayakanth acted in and directed the film Virudhagiri (2010). After a break of five years, he made a special appearance in Sagaptham (2015), which was his son Shanmuga Pandian's first film. He was also working on another film with his son, Thamizhan Endru Sol, but production stopped due to elections and his health.

Vijayakanth acted in 154 movies and was a beloved figure in the Tamil film industry.

Political Career

Vijayakanth started his own political party called Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK). He officially announced the party on September 14, 2005, in Madurai.

Early Political Steps (2006–2011)

DMDK posters seen in Thanjavur

In the 2006 state assembly elections, his party ran in all areas and he won one seat himself. The DMDK became an important new party, getting about 10% of the votes. Vijayakanth said he would not ask for donations for his party, and much of the money came from his own pocket. He also said he would not join alliances with other political parties at first.

Leader of the Opposition (2011)

Shri Vijayakanth with DMDK delegation calling on the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, in New Delhi

For the 2011 election, he formed an alliance with the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). His party did very well, winning 29 out of 41 seats. The DMDK even won more seats than the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) party. Vijayakanth won his seat in Rishivandiyam for the second time.

After the election, Vijayakanth and Jayalalithaa, the leader of AIADMK, had disagreements. Because of this, DMDK separated from AIADMK. In the 2014 national elections, DMDK joined an alliance with the BJP and other parties. The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, even called Vijayakanth his friend. Later, Vijayakanth lost his position as Leader of the Opposition when some of his party's MLAs resigned.

2016 Election

In the 2016 election, Vijayakanth lost his seat and did not get enough votes to get his deposit money back. He was running in the Ulundurpettai area. He finished third, while the AIADMK candidate won the seat.

Elections Contested

Other Work

Vijayakanth also founded the Shri Andal Alagar College of Engineering in 2001. His wife was in charge of the college. On October 1, 2001, he suggested that October 1, which is actor Sivaji Ganesan's birthday, should be celebrated as Actors' Day in Tamil Nadu.

He was also the president of the South Indian Film Artistes' Association from 2000 to 2006. Under his leadership, the association was able to pay off its debts by holding celebrity shows overseas. Vijayakanth also started his own TV channels: Captain TV in 2010 and Captain News in 2012.

Death and Tributes

Vijayakanth passed away on December 28, 2023, at the age of 71, due to pneumonia. He was in a hospital in Chennai and had also tested positive for COVID-19.

Many important people shared their sadness and paid their respects. These included Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, and many other government leaders and film stars. The Tamil Nadu State Government announced that his funeral would be held with full state honors.

Awards and Recognitions

Honors

Film Awards and Nominations