DMDK Founder ‘Captain’ Vijayakanth Passes Away At 71

Vijayakanth, also known as ‘Captain’, was famous in Tamil Nadu, known for his movies and politics. He passed away at 71 years old on December 28, 2023.

Vijayakanth’s real name was Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswami. He was born in Madurai in 1952. Most people remember him for his action-packed roles in Tamil movies. 

He acted in 154 films, and his 100th movie, ‘Captain Prabhakaran’, was very successful. He was known for only acting in Tamil films, and many of these were also shown in Telugu and Hindi.

In 1990, he married Premalatha, and they had two sons, Vijaya Prabhakaran and Shanmuga Pandian. His younger son, Shanmuga Pandian, is also an actor.

Apart from movies, Vijayakanth was also involved in politics. He started a political party called Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) in 2005. This was a big step because Tamil Nadu’s politics were mostly dominated by two other parties, DMK and AIADMK. 

In the 2011 state elections, his party did really well, winning 29 out of 41 seats they contested. He became the Leader of the Opposition after this election. However, his party didn’t do well in later elections.

Vijayakanth also contributed to education and media. He founded an engineering college and started a television channel named Captain TV. He led the South Indian Film Artistes’ Association too.

As per his 2016 affidavit, his total assets were around ₹14.79 crore, including movable assets like cash, bank deposits, and jewelry, and immovable assets like land and buildings. His wife and children now handle his wealth and political party.

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In his last years, Vijayakanth faced health issues. He had pneumonia and was also tested positive for Covid-19. He was getting treatment in a hospital but sadly passed away.

Vijayakanth’s life was full of different roles – as an actor, politician, and leader. He will be remembered for his contributions to Tamil cinema and politics in Tamil Nadu.