Sembedu mourns demise of son-in-law

CHENNAI: Sembedu panchayat in Vellore district woke up to news of the demise of actor-turned-politician ‘Captain’ Vijayakant, whom they called their “beloved” son -in-law.

The villagers have developed a special bonding ever since the actor married to one of the daughters of the village, Premalatha, in January 1990. The village wore a festive look whenever Vijayakant visited it. The last time he came was in 2017 to offer prayers in his brother-in-law L Sudheesh’s family temple.

Though he visited the village rarely, the villagers were fond of Vijayakant for his “humble” and “affectionate” approach towards them. “Whenever our leader comes here, he will call me and talk to me. He will also talk to the villagers freely,” said N Gajendran of Sembedu and a functionary of DMDK.

“Several villagers arranged vehicles and left for Chennai to pay their respects,” said Panchayat president Uvarani Satyamurthy. She added that the DMDK leader donated generously to build a temple in the village.

“When he took a political plunge and declared his party in 2005, many of the youngsters looked at him as an alternative for the Dravidian majors and they were also confident that Vijayakant would change the dynamics of the state politics. In fact, they celebrated his victory when he became the LoP,” said a villager. In 2016, he was projected as the CM candidate of the People Welfare Front and entered the fray against the two tallest leaders - M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa. “It is a proud moment for the villagers. Though it was short lived, he will remain in our hearts and be remembered for his loving nature,” he added.