DMDK founder-leader and well-known Tamil actor Vijayakanth passed away in Chennai on Thursday. The news of Vijayakantha passing away was confirmed by Miot Hospital. He was reportedly admitted due to pneumonia and kept on ventilator support. 'Captain Vijaykanth was on ventilatory support following his admission for pneumonia. Despite the best efforts of medical staff, he passed away in the morning on 28th December 2023,' the Miot Hospital shared in a press release.

As per shared by his patry earlier, Vijayakanth had tested positive for coronavirus. But later on, the hospital released a statement saying the party issued the statement even before the results for the second round of samples were ready.

Vijaykanth has been facing health issues for the last 4-5 years. Talking about the party's responsibility his wife Premalatha formally took over the DMDK on December 14 as she was declared the general secretary at a party meet in Chennai. 

Many supporters of the DMDK party and fans were seen outside the hospital mourning the death of the popular actor-leader. PM Narendra Modi also extended his condolences to Vijaynakth's family, fans and followers. He wrote, 'Extremely saddened by the passing away of Thiru Vijayakanth Ji.' 'A legend of the Tamil film world, his charismatic performances captured the hearts of millions. As a political leader, he was deeply committed to public service, leaving a lasting impact on Tamil Nadu’s political landscape, he added. His passing leaves a void that will be hard to fill. He was a close friend and I fondly recall my interactions with him over the years. In this sad hour, my thoughts are with his family, fans and numerous followers. Om Shanti.'

Vijaykanth eas fondly called as 'Captain' because of his on-screen portrayal of military characters. He acted in a total of 154 movies before joining the politics. After entering into politics he founded the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) in 2005.