Rajinikanth cancels 'Vettaiyan' shoot, rushes back to Chennai to pay respects to Vijayakanth

Rajinikanth and Vijayakanth enjoy a very good relationship though they have acted together in just a handful of films.

Superstar Rajinikanth, who was shooting for Vettaiyan in Nagerkovil, has rushed back to Chennai to pay his last tributes to his friend Captain Vijayakanth.

Actor-turned-politician Vijayakanth, icon of the 1980s and early 2000s, died on Thursday at a hospital in Chennai. He was 71.

"Captain Vijayakanth was on ventilatory support following his admission for pneumonia. Despite the best efforts of the medical staff he passed away in the morning on 28th December 2023."

MIOT International hospital said in a press release

Rajinikanth and Vijayakanth enjoy a very good relationship though they have acted together in very less films, one of them is the well-known Manathil Uruthi Vendum (1987).

Vijayakanth was an actor par excellence, he started his tryst with acting in 1979 with MA Kaja's Inikkum Ilamai.

Despite hailing from the Telugu-speaking Naidu community, Vijayakanth born Narayanan Vijayaraj Alagarswami (August 25, 1952) was considered quintessentially a Tamil. Praised as 'Karuppu MGR' (black MGR) by his fans for his generosity, Vijayakanth has been ill and kept a low profile for the past 4-5 years and his wife Premalatha formally took over the reins of the DMDK on December 14. She was declared the general secretary at a party meet in Chennai.

The DMDK founder's death is a huge loss for Tamil Nadu and the world of cinema and as a mark of homage, the Tamil Nadu government will accord full state honours for Vijayakanth's funeral.