Vivekh, the man with a message leaves

Express News Service

CHENNAI/TENKASI: Veteran comedian Vivekh, who breathed his last in a private hospital in Chennai on Saturday, was 59. Vivekh was admitted on Friday due to a cardiac arrest and is reported to have succumbed to cardiac complications in the wee hours of Saturday.

Born as Vivekhhanandan, on November 19, 1961, Vivekh was known for his punchy one-liners. It is in college-based dramas that Vivekh often found himself in the 90s and 00s. He starred in a bunch of films with then up-and-coming actors and future stars like Vijay, Ajith, Vikram, Prashanth, Suriya, and Madhavan. With the ascension of such actors into superstardom, Vivekh’s popularity too reached dizzying heights. From equal prominence with the heros in film posters to acting in separate comedy tracks in smaller films to facilitate their reach, Vivekh was an unstoppable force at the turn of the millennium. He began employing a brand of comedy that would become synonymous with him social satire. 

After providing us with consistent, quality content in the early 2000s, Vivekh stepped down a gear to act in films that allowed his character to grow over the course of the film. It was in this phase that we saw his gold standard work in Run, Dhool, Perazhagan, and Saamy, among others. The humour in these films came with a strong undercurrent of social satire and the questioning of superstitious and casteist beliefs. 

His illustrious film career aside, what equally endeared Vivekh to the masses was his philanthropy. His close connection with former President APJ Abdul Kalam was notable and he was known for his social activism, especially his Green Globe initiative. Through this, Vivekh planned to plant 1 crore saplings, and had realised a third of that dream at the time. 

As soon as the news of the actor’s demise broke, fans and celebrities thronged his house in Saligramam. His remains were taken in a van to an electric crematorium in Mettukuppam. Thousands of fans followed the van in a bid to get one last glimpse of the late actor. Since the actor is survived by his wife and two daughters (his teenage son is no more), his daughter Thejasvini performed the last rites. Vivekh’s funeral took place with full state honours. Meanwhile, in his native village, Perungottur in Tenkasi, residents grieved over his death. 

His relatives left the village early in the morning after receiving the news. He was called Chinna Kalaivanar and Janangalin Kalaignan for a reason. Vivekh was a once-in-a-generation comedian who never failed to make us think… even while we were laughing our guts out.

CLARIFICATION
In the story titled ‘Vivekh’s condition not related to Vax’, published in these columns, it was wrongly mentioned that the actor suffered a 100 per cent “blood clot”. In fact, he suffered a 100 per cent “block”. The error is regretted.