Actor Vivek's death anniversary: Remembering his best comic roles
Actor, comedian, television presenter, and singer Vivek passed away unexpectedly in Chennai on April 17, 2021, due to heart failure at 59. The Padma Shri awardee, respected for his social activism as well as his stellar filmography, infused life into numerous movies through his comic timing and one-liners. On his second death anniversary, we revisit some of his most memorable roles.
'Sivaji: The Boss'
Sivaji: The Boss, starring Rajinikanth and directed by S Shankar is one of the movies that catapulted Vivek to nationwide acclaim, considering the movie is particularly successful on satellite. He played the role of Arivu, the titular protagonist's uncle. The role was immensely loved, so much so, that it won him the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Comedian.
'Kuruvi'
In the 2008 movie Kuruvi, Vivek was roped in to essay the role of Ops. The success of the character helped him clinch the ITFA Best Comedian Award, along with a nomination for Vijay Award for Best Comedian. The superhero comedy film starred Vijay, Trisha, Ashish Vidyarthi, and Malavika. Vijay played the character of the protagonist Velu. Stream the film on Amazon Prime Video.
'Vedi'
The action film Vedi starred Vishal, Sameera Reddy, Poonam Kaur, Sayaji Shinde, and Urvashi, and was distributed by Sun Pictures. It was a remake of the Telugu movie Souryam and was directed by Prabhu Deva. Interestingly, Vishal's first scene ever was shot with Vivek. As always, Vivek shone brightly in this ensemble drama and was honored with the ITFA Best Comedian Award.
'Velaiilla Pattadhari'
In Velraj's Velaiilla Pattadhari (VIP), Vivek played the role of Azhagusundaram, who is shown as the assistant of the film's protagonist Raghuvaran (Dhanush), a civil engineer. The movie was directed by and starred Dhanush, Amala Paul, Surbhi, and Saranya Ponvannan, among others, and a sequel was released subsequently in 2017. The social drama won him a SIIMA Award for Best Comedian.
