KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 — Prominent Tamil actor Vijayakanth passed away this morning at a private hospital in Chennai, where he was undergoing treatment for pneumonia since November 20.

Vijayakanth, 71, also tested positive for Covid-19 and was placed on ventilatory support prior to his death, India Today reported.

Fondly called "Captain” by his fans, Vijayakanth acted in 154 films since his debut in Inikkum Ilamai in 1979 and was regarded as a contemporary to veteran Tamil actors Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan.

He was well-known for his village do-gooder and senior cop roles in films like Chinna Gounder (1991), Thavasi (2001) and Narasimha (2001).

Vijayakanth made his foray into politics after founding the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) in 2005 and was elected as a Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly member twice.

He served as the state’s opposition leader from 2011 to 2016 and established himself as a third force in Tamil Nadu politics against stalwarts like J.Jayalalitha and M.Karunanidhi.

However, in recent years, Vijayakanth stepped back from active politics due to his declining health.

On December 14, he made his last public appearance at a DMDK meeting during which his wife, Premalatha was appointed as the party’s general secretary.

Vijayakanth is survived by his wife and two sons.