Vijayakanth's health 'mildly deteriorates,' to be kept under observation in Chennai hospital for 14

Vijayakanth, actor-turned-politician, was admitted to the hospital in Chennai after suffering from a severe cold and cough. On Wednesday, the hospital issued a statement sharing an update on Vijayakanth's health and said that he will remain under medical supervision owing to deteriorating health.

Vijayakanth to stay in hospital for 14 days

The actor-turned-politician was admitted to MIOT Hospital earlier this month and was showing a "great improvement". However, over the last 24 hours, he showed a "mild deterioration" in his health "requiring a small amount of pulmonary support". The hospital has extended the hospitalisation period to 14 days to observe his health.

“Mr. Vijayakanth was showing great improvement. However, over the last 24 hours, he showed mild deterioration requiring a small amount of pulmonary support. We continue to be confident that he will show a full recovery. Possible length of stay in hospital is a further 14 days,” an official statement issued by the hospital read.

Who is Vijayakanth?

He is a former actor, who has worked predominantly in Tamil cinema. Apart from acting, he was also a producer and director. He made his debut in the acting world with the 1979 film Inikkum Ilamai and then went on to work for over three decades before embarking on his political journey in 2005. He is best known for low-budget films that showcased gravity-defying stunts in which he would single-handedly dispatch his enemies.

His last film was in 2015 titled Sagaptham in which he appeared in a cameo. The action-comedy starred Shanmuga Pandian, Neha Hinge and Shubra Aiyappa in the lead. He has produced films such as Vallarasu (2000), Narasimha (2001), Thennavan (2003) and Viruthagiri (2010), among others.