The Tamil film and political fraternity have been grief-stricken following the demise of actor and politician Vijayakanth. A prolific actor, Vijayakanth shared screenspace along with S Ve Shekhar in a handful of films, including Visu's Dowry Kalyanam (1983). In addition, they were also actively involved in working for the South Indian Artistes' Association also called Nadigar Sangam.
Paying tribute to the late actor, S Ve Shekhar opened up about his equation with Vijayakanth. "My friendship with Vijayakanth goes back to 40 years. I have starred with him in just a handful of films, but he had so much respect for me that he would always call me sir," he said, adding a line about his contribution to Nadigar Sangam. "The entire film fraternity and I remember him and are grateful to him for organising celebrity shows to save Nadigar Sangam from debt."
Shedding more light on the kind of person the late actor was, Shekhar further adds, "He was a key catalyst in introducing many producers and directors into the industry. He was so honest and with integrity that it turned out to be a negative when he became a politician because politics and honesty don't go along. He was so bold that he would not hesitate to speak the truth, even if it was unpopular."
Reminiscing about the actor, Shekhar says as an afternote, "Many of his films had a 100-day run in the theatres." Adding quickly to that, he further explains how success never made him hot-headed. "There are so many people in leading or respectable positions, but very few who continue to remain humble even after reaching such heights. Vijayakanth has always been one such person," he concludes.
