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Remembering Captain Vijayakanth: 5 iconic films of the beloved Tamil star

Vijayakanth, who ruled the box office in the 1980s and 1990s, was fondly called 'Captain'. He had an unparalleled acting career spanning almost 3 decades

Hridyambika A Manu

Dec 29, 2023

Remembering Captain Vijayakanth

Vijayakanth, who was affectionately called Captain, was an icon in the Tamil film industry. He revolutionised the action genre in Tamil cinema, making quite an impact over his three-decade-long career. Having played a cop in many of his films, the late Vijayakanth showed the men in khaki in a positive light. His on-screen presence not only entertained everyone but also played a role in popularising virtues, sealing his place as a legend in Tamil films.

As we remember the late Tamil star, we list the 5 best roles of Vijayakanth:

Captain Prabhakaran

This is the film that earned Vijayakanth the much-loved title ‘Captain’. Captain Prabhakaran was released in 1991 and was Vijayakanth's 100th film. The movie revolves around Prabhakaran (Vijayakanth), a high-ranking forest officer who is sent to the Sathyamangalam forest to catch a notorious smuggler, Veerabhadran (played by Mansoor Ali Khan). The arrest is not just for his illegal activities but also to avenge the death of a friend. Vijayakanth’s powerful dialogue delivery and director RK Selvamani’s racy screenplay make this an evergreen movie from the 90s. The powerful performance of the actor became popular among non-Tamil speakers as well. Vijayakanth’s character was a homage to LTTE leader Prabhakaran, while Mansoor Ali Khan's character is based on notorious poacher Veerappan.

Vaidhegi Kaathirundhaal

This film remains afresh in audiences hearts as Vijayakanth, who was till then known as an action hero, was seen in a soft role for the first time. Starring Revathi and Vijayakanth, this romantic drama follows a wandering singer and a widowed dance teacher who lives with her father. They work together to help two people in their village who are in love. The on-screen pairing of Revathi and Vijayakanth was loved by audiences and of course no Tamil cinema lover can forget the iconic song ‘Rasathi Unnai’, composed by Ilayiaraaja. Directed by R Sundarrajan, Vaidhegi Kaathirundhaal brought Vijayakanth critical acclaim. It is interesting to note that the actor advised against doing the project.

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Oomai Vizhigal

Oomai Vizhigal is a crime thriller directed by R Aravindraj in which Vijayakanth played a cop. Vijayakanth was an aged policeman, DSP Deenadayalan, in the hit film that revolves around a resort that is used to abduct young girls to sell them off to powerful politicians. When this happens, a sincere police officer (Vijayakanth) intervenes to expose the fraud. The movie appealed to a wide audience due to its Western-style suspense theme and, of course, due to Vijayakanth’s phenomenal performance. A noteworthy aspect of this film are the inspiring songs scored by Manoj Gyan, which have a huge fan base among Tamil audiences even today.

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Chinna Gounder

This is yet another soft role from Vijayakanth’s vibrant filmography. In Chinna Gounder, the actor played a well-respected and humble village headman. The film is about how he falls into a trap, after which he is forced to fight for justice. Comedian Goundamani’s scenes and Vijayakanth’s not-so-usual action hero style charmed the audiences, who lauded the actor for his selection of films. The movie won the award for Best Film at the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards.

Senthoora Poove

This blockbuster film, which earned Vijayakanth his first Tamil Nadu State Film Awards for Best Actor, revolves around Ashok, a city dweller who goes to a village and falls in love with Ponni, a widow who is incessantly tortured by her step-mother. Vijayakanth played a terminally ill convict named Captain Soundarapandian in the film. The film’s screenplay was lauded and Vijayakanth received praise for his suspenseful performance and for portraying a character with grey shades. The movie is among the long list of blockbuster cop roles essayed by the Tamil cinema legend.

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