Top News

In a special tribute to actor and late politician Vijayakanth, his blockbuster movie, Captain prabhakaranwas rereleased in theatres across Tamil Nadu today (August 22).

With more than 500+ screens, his fans and party cadres have started to celebrate this iconic movie, to mark his birth anniversary on August 25.

Originally, this movie was released in 1991, on the Tamil New Year, April 14. This movie and his performance earned him the title ‘Captain’ forever. Even after his demise two years ago, his fans fondly address him as ‘Captain’.

Watch | DMDK sans Vijayakanth: What’s the route for 2024? BJP or AIADMK?

RK Selvamani directed the movie. Actors Rubini, Ramya Krishnan, and Mansoor Ali Khan, among others, were the co-stars.

Kollywood movie critics and historians noted that this movie paved the way for Vijayakanth to carry his political ideologies, message and image as a helper of the poor to the mass population, including people from rural Tamil Nadu. According to them, his stature reached a new height as a supporter of the Eelam cause.

Eelam cause

Writer and Historian Stalin Rajangam, speaking to The Federal about the impact this movie created among the people, noted how much he personally loved it.

“I was in grade 7 when this movie got released, and I still remember every (music) tune of the movie,” he reminisced and suggested that this movie elevated actor Vijayakanth as a supporter of Eelam Tamils. “It was a known fact in the industry that he was helping the migrant population of Eelam Tamils, from Sri Lanka, during the civil war. He provided cycles, sewing machines and helped them in many other ways. But naming his 100th movie after the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) leader brought him respect and admiration to a new level,” Rajangam said.

Also read | Vijayakanth: Actor-politician who brought politics to cinema and cinema to politics

“After this movie, a lot of Rajinikanth fans became Vijayakanth’s fans,” he noted further.

“It is not appropriate to say this movie alone got him the image that he is “Yezhai pangalan” (translates into ‘helper of the poor’ in Tamil). Earlier, his movies Sattam oru vilayattu (‘Law is a game’, 1987), Uzhavan magan (‘Farmer’s son’, 1987), and Poruthathu pothum (‘Enough with patience’ 1989) gave the impression that he was not just an actor but someone who really cared about social causes,” he added.

Commercial hit

Rajangam Said Kamal Haasan’s Nayagan (‘Hero’) and Rajinikanth’s Manithan (‘Man’) were released in the same year as Uzhavan magan. Vijayakanth’s film was not only a huge commercial hit but also received positive reviews from the people.

“Captain prabhakaran was a commercial hit. Two scenes — where he questions corruption, the system, the police, and the state — made him an unbeatable leader for the masses. Dialogues penned by Liaquat Ali Khan have become immortal. Not only the songs (Ilaiyaraaja’s iconic songs), but the entire movie dialogues were imprinted on cassettes and found their way to every nook and corner of the state. Indeed, this movie promoted him as a ‘Captain’ or aleader of the poor,” he explained.

Also Read: ‘The Bengal Files’ debate: Cinema, history, and responsibility

Selvaman Overwhelmed

Talking to The Federaldirector RK Selvamani expressed his happiness over the reception for this movie. “Even kids who weren’t born when this movie was released are getting a chance to watch it in theatres. I’m overwhelmed with happiness as I witnessed how people celebrated this movie. Fans were enthralled and applauded every scene,” he shared his theatre experience.

Responding to the feedback that his movie helped to carry Vijayakanth’s political ideologies to the Tamil people, he said, “Everyone has different political ideologies. When I narrated the story to Vijayakanth, he neither hesitated nor modified the story. He readily accepted the storyline and acted in it.”

Even after 34 years, the reception for the movie is the same as his fans and cadres have been excitedly visiting theatres to watch the movie. DMDK General Secretary and Vijayakanth’s wife, Premalatha, with their son Vijaya Prabhakaran and other family members, watched the movie in a theatre in Cuddalore.

They were seen shedding tears of joy watching Vijayakanth on screen. Yet again.