AMN / Chennai
Famous Tamil film actor and Padma Sri awardee Vivek passed away in Chennai today. He was admitted at a private hospital yesterday following a massive heart attack. He was 60 years old.
An incredible comedian, Vivek had entertained people of Tamil Nadu for over three decades through his 200 plus films. A disciple of former President Abdul Kalam, Vivek was involved in afforestation and other social welfare activities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed grief over the demise of noted actor Vivek. In a tweet, Mr Modi said, his comic timing and intelligent dialogues entertained people. Prime Minister said, both in his films and his life, his concern for the environment and society shone through.
The private hospital in Chennai, where Vivek, 59, was being treated, said he suffered “an acute coronary syndrome with cardiogenic shock. This is a separate cardiac event. It may not be due to Covid vaccination”.
On Friday, the actor underwent “emergency coronary angiogram followed by angioplasty”, a medical bulletin said. But his condition stayed critical through the day.
The 59-year-old actor made headlines on Thursday for promoting the importance of vaccination to fight the coronavirus. He chose to get vaccinated at a government hospital to spread awareness instead of going to a private hospital.
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“The government hospitals provide healthcare services to the majority of poor people. Many have doubts about vaccination and its side effects. There are also several rumours doing the rounds. I want to put an end to all the rumours. I want to show people that there is no danger in getting vaccinated. On the contrary, it will protect us. And it is not like this vaccination will completely prevent us from getting Covid-19 infection. After the vaccination, even if we catch the virus, there won’t be death. So after vaccination, we should still follow the safety guidelines,” Vivek told the media after receiving his first jab of Covid-19 vaccination on Friday.
After his death, AR Rahman, Radikaa Sarathkumar, Mohan Raja and Gautham Karthik among others expressed disbelief. Gautham tweeted, “Not able to believe this… He made us laugh, he educated us through his performances, he cared for this world and helped teach us how to take care of it. There will never be another like you sir. We will miss you. Rest in peace @Actor_Vivek sir #ripvivek.”