உள்ளத்தில் நல்ல உள்ளம் உறங்காது….

For fans all over the world – Captain’s death is something personal.

And now, it's been a year since we have loss the gem. Born as Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswami in 1952 in Madurai - the demise of Captain Vijayakanth has left an irreplaceable void in both the realms of cinema and politics.

Reflecting on his mindset, a poignant viral video captures the essence of his values. In a public speech, Captain expressed :

“What is everyone going to do with crores and crores of rupees? Won’t you all feed me, my wife, and my sons? Won’t there be a small space for me and my family? Isn’t that enough? If I start spending one day at every one of your homes, I can live through life. What is then money? Even when we are burnt, they take off the arunakodi (a thread tied in the hip in people down South). Am I going to take all of it when I go?”

Known for his generosity, the actor-politician as well as philanthropist was remembered for providing meals to everyone who entered his office at Rohini Lodge in Chennai. Despite knowing that some sought his hospitality under the guise of narrating scripts, his warmth remained consistent.

Actor Ramesh Kanna, reflecting on their collaboration, shared, “It doesn’t matter if you are a director or an assistant director; he treats everyone the same. When I tried to pitch him a story, he refused to listen and said, ‘I am doing it. You are directing.’ He didn’t even bother listening to the script, but I turned actor and couldn’t do the film. The script was later made as Aadhavan with Suriya Sir.”

A contemporary of Tamil superstars Rajnikanth and Kamal Haasan, Vijayakanth carved a niche for himself in the 1980s with a series of blockbusters. Notably, he pioneered the introduction of uniform meals on film sets, revolutionising an industry that had yet to embrace the concept of full meals for the crew.

Vijayakanth stands as one of the distinguished Tamil actors who exclusively dedicated his career to the language's cinema. Renowned for his portrayal of the righteous do-gooder, his films, often dubbed into Telugu and Hindi, solidified his status as a 'Puratchi Kalaignar' or revolutionary artist in the industry.

Among his notable roles, those of a police officer garnered widespread acclaim, with his 1991 film "Captain Prabhakaran" earning him the moniker 'Captain.' Vijayakanth's unwavering commitment to Tamil cinema and his iconic portrayals have left an enduring impact on the industry.

You will be deeply missed, Captain...

Image Credit: South One, Wikipedia & Times India