On Thursday, December 28, India mourned the loss of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) party founder-chief and acclaimed Tamil actor Vijayakanth, who passed away at the age of 71 in Chennai after battling an illness.

MIOT International Hospital issued a press statement, conveying the unfortunate news, stating, “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.” The actor-politician had also tested positive for COVID-19, adding to the complexities of his health condition.

Earlier in the day, the DMDK party had used its official social media platform to inform the public that Vijayakanth had been admitted to the hospital and put on ventilator support due to respiratory issues.

According to reports from news agency ANI, his mortal remains have been brought to his residence and are scheduled to be taken to the DMDK office for further proceedings.

The veteran actor had been admitted to MIOT Hospital in Chennai in November when his health first began to deteriorate, marking the beginning of a challenging period for the iconic figure in Tamil cinema and politics.