One of Tamil cinema’s most well-known actors, Captain Vijayakanth has appeared in more than 150 films. The seasoned actor has collaborated with several directors and appeared on screen alongside performers from different generations. One of those few leading men in the industry who had no connection to the film industry before his career, he is also one of the few Tamil actors who have solely worked in Tamil films throughout his career.
His films used to be dubbed in Hindi and Telugu. However, he also holds one rare record that none of the stalwarts of the Tamil industry has been able to achieve. On the occasion of Vijaykanth’s 70th birthday today, let us tell you about this record.
Did you know that Vijaykanth is the only stalwart of Tamil cinema whose 100th film was a blockbuster hit? Yes, although it sounds unbelievable, none of the legends, including Sivaji Ganesan, MGR or Kamal Haasan among others, achieved this feat.
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1968’s Oil Vilakku was MGR’s 100th film. A remake of the hit Hindi film Phool Aur Patthar starring Dharmendra and Meena Kumar, it had a lot riding on it but surprisingly it could not be a commercial success. Similarly, another legend Sivaji Ganesan appeared in his 100th film titled Navrathri. Despite receiving a lot of critical acclaims and both the Hindi and the Telugu remake, it did not make a lot of money at the box office. The movie is now considered a classic though and is revered by contemporary viewers.
Rajinikanth tried to experiment with his 100th film Shri Raghavendra, playing the titular Hindu saint. However, the audience, used to seeing him in larger-than-life heroic roles, rejected the film. It received critical acclaim. Kamal Haasan’s 100th film Rajaparvai where he played a blind man failed commercially although the song Anthi Rami Pozhigunawas is a huge rage and is still a favourite. Similarly, Sathyaraj’s 100th film Vathiyar Vidya Pillai was a failure.
However, as fate would have it, history did not repeat itself in Vijaykanth’s case and his 100th film, the actioner Captain Prabhakaran, which was released in 1991 was a huge commercial blockbuster. The film had a successful run of 275 days. Apart from that, the most important trivia about the film was that the title Captain was prefixed to the actor’s name after the movie and he has since been referred to as Captain Vijaykanth.
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