TAMIL film actor and comedian Vivek has died aged 59 early on Saturday from an apparent heart attack.
Vivek was brought to the emergency room by his wife and daughter on Friday morning, after complaining of discomfort, reported Times of India.
After being admitted to SIMS Hospital in Vadapalani, he underwent an angioplasty and stenting procedure on Friday for blockage in a critical blood vessel of the heart. He was then put on life support in the ICU. A medical bulletin from the hospital read: “He passed away at 4.35am.”
According to hospital vice-president Dr Raju Sivasamy, the attack was due to acute coronary syndrome with cardiogenic shock. He stressed that it was unrelated to the Covid-19 vaccine he took the day before, saying Vivek had a “mild elevated blood pressure”. Vivek had also tested negative for Covid-19.
It must be noted that the actor had on Thursday been declared as the state’s ambassador for public health. He had taken the Covaxin shot in Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital in Chennai, while urging others to do the same.
As part of his role, Vivek was responsible for instilling confidence in the public health system through the necessary messaging. His death is expected to raise questions about the safety and state of the system he was tasked to promote.
Born in Kovilpatti in Tuticorin district in Tamil Nadu, Vivek boasted an illustrious career that spanned three decades. Veteran director K Balachandar gave him his first big break with a small role in the film ‘Manathil Urudhi Vendum’ in 1987. He was later featured in the director’s ‘Puthu Puthu Arthangal’, from where he became known as a comedy actor.
Vivek was known for his sharp tongue, comic timing and mimicry skills. Among the hundreds of roles that came his way, the ones in ‘Run’, ‘Perazhagan’, ‘Dhool’, ‘Anniyan’ and ‘Sivaji’ made him a household name.
He is a firm believer in social reforms, highlighting issues such as female infanticide (which is prevalent in south Tamil Nadu), caste clashes and religious superstitions.
Closer to home, he was a great fan of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, professing his admiration during their meetings and in a number of tweets.
While filming here in 2008, he took a break and met the former prime minister at the Perdana Leadership Foundation.
“Meeting Dr Mahathir is a dream come true. I compare him with (Dr APJ) Abdul Kalam (India’s former president). I have admired him from afar and have read a lot about him and the development he had brought to Malaysia,” he told the Star.
In 2017, he tweeted: “Had an opportunity to meet n interview this gt (sic) legend Tun Dr Mahathir, 92, ex PM. Visionary of modern Malaysia." – The Vibes, April 17, 2021
Had an opportunity to meet n interview this gt legend Tun Dr Mahathir,92 ex PM.Visionary of modern Malaysia @chedetofficial @narendramodi @TOIIndiaNews @dinathanthi @pttv_tweets pic.twitter.com/TlphkAq9g9
— Vivekh actor (@Actor_Vivek) November 14, 2017
