Actor Vivek passed away in Chennai. He was 59. (Photo: Sreedhar Pillai/Twitter)The sudden demise of Tamil actor Vivek has left his fans, friends and colleagues shocked. He passed away on Saturday after suffering a cardiac arrest. The actor was hospitalised on Friday after a cardiac arrest. While there were reports of his health deteriorating after taking a jab of the coronavirus vaccine, the Tamil Nadu Health Department refuted the rumours in a press meet.
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.
“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.”
The actor is survived by his wife and two daughters. His son passed away a few years ago after suffering from dengue.
On Saturday evening, AR Rahman tweeted, "We have lost a Selfless,most precious jewel of India ...a #climate champion for #ClimateAction who was in the process of planting 10million trees."
Sai Dharam Tej is shocked and saddened to know about Vivek's passing away.
Kajal Aggarwal via Twitter shared, "Deeply saddened by the sudden demise, Heartfelt condolences to Vivek sir’s family."
Raja Yuvan tweeted, "A truly successful person is some one who has made a positive impact in people’s lives, Vivek sir is one of a kind person, he did not only make people laugh with his comedy but also made people think with his wisdom. It is a great loss for us."
"My heart feels heavy as I write this. Vivek sir's passing feels like a personal loss. He was an actor, comedian, environmentalist and a great human being. My deep condolences to vivek sir's family. You will forever be a part of us. May your soul rest in peace," Samantha Akkineni shared on Instagram.
Actor Rakul Preet tweeted, "Shocked and saddened by the passing away of veteran actor #Vivek sir! My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones! May his soul rest in peace."
Music composer S Thaman paid his tribute to Vivek via Twitter. He wrote, "Gem of a Person Gave So Much Confidence & Knowledge He Use to Take Our Stress Out With his jokes .Never felt like We Wr acting With a Senior and Most Experienced Actor In film ( boys ). WE MISS U MANGALAM SIR. Goon too soon."
Arya via Twitter expressed that he is "Heart broken and shattered" to know about the passing away of actor Vivek. "Great loss to the industry and to the society. Such a gem of person. So much he wanted to do for the society. Will miss you sir. Love u sir always," he tweeted.
Filmmaker Shankar Shanmugham tweeted, "Today we lost an amazing actor, wonderful human being and lover of nature: Padma Shri Vivek. His contributions to my films, Tamil Film Industry and to society is immeasurable, so is this loss. May his soul Rest In Peace. My heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and fans."
"So saddened by the untimely demise of @Actor_Vivek :( my deepest condolences to his loved ones and friends who shall miss him terribly! A great void shall be seen in the creative world today," Shruti Haasan mentioned via Twitter.