One of the most loved, veteran Tamil comedian-actor, Vivek, passed away earlier this morning at the age of 59. He was admitted in a hospital in Chennai after he complained of discomfort and suffered a cardiac arrest.
A bulletin in the private hospital he was admitted to said that the actor underwent an emergency angiogram followed by angioplasty. The hospital also added that he suffered from “an acute coronary syndrome with cardiogenic shock. This is a separate cardiac event. It may not be due to Covid vaccination.”
Vivek just took the Coronavirus shot at a government hospital this Thursday and even advocated the importance of vaccination to fight COVID-19. Refuting the rumours that his cardiac arrest was a reaction to the Coronavirus vaccination, the Tamil Nadu Health Department had to call in a press meet to state that it wasn’t related.
Reacting to the news of his sudden demise, celebrities from A.R. Rahman to Samantha Ruth Prabhu took to their social media to offer their condolences. A. R. Rahman wrote, “Can’t believe you’ve left us…may you rest in peace…you’ve entertained us for decades…your legacy will stay with us”.
Here is his tweet:
R. Madhavan, who has acted alongside Vivek in his Tamil films, also tweeted, expressing his grief.
Here is his tweet:
The Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi also offered his condolences:
Actress Samantha shared glimpses from Vivek’s iconic films, and took to her Instagram to share a note for him. Here is her post:
Known for his sharp tongue, wit and concern for the society and environment around him — both in his comedy and in his various social activities, Vivek had won hearts of his audiences in film like ‘Run’, ‘Anniyan’, ‘Shivaji’ and so many more films over three decades now. The actor is survived by his wife and two daughters. His son passed away a few years ago after suffering from dengue and brain fever.
Here’s sending his family strength. May his soul rest in peace.