Vijayakant's death: Tamil film shootings canceled; Rajinikanth to pay tribute
The Tamil film fraternity has been in shock after the sudden demise of "Captain" Vijayakant in Chennai on Thursday. He was 71. As a mark of respect for the actor, the industry has halted shooting all Tamil films. Reports said megastar Rajinikanth has stopped filming his current project, Vettaiyan, in Nagercoil to honor the memory of his friend and fellow actor. He is en route to Chennai to pay his final respects to the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) founder.
Funeral details of yesteryear actor
Vijayakant's mortal remains have been kept at the DMDK office in Chennai's Koyembedu for public tributes. He will reportedly be cremated with full state honors on Friday. The actor-turned-politician is survived by his wife, Premalatha, and two sons, Vijayaa Prabhakaran and Shanmuga Pandian. He made his last public appearance on December 14. He was admitted to a private Chennai hospital for a regular check-up on Tuesday. However, his health worsened, resulting in his death at around 6:30am IST on Thursday.
Rajinikanth and Vijayakant shared a loving bond
Although Vijayakant and Rajinikanth never shared the screen in Tamil films, they maintained a strong friendship throughout their careers. In the 1980s and '90s, Vijayakant was a competitor of Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth, who dominated the Tamil film industry with numerous blockbuster hits. Both actors made a cameo in K Balachander's Manathil Urudhi Vendum in a song titled Vangaala Kadale.
