Popular Tamil comedian Vivekh has been admitted to the SIMS hospital in Vadapalani, Chennai after suffering a major heart attack on Friday.
Sources in the film industry and hospital had said Vivekh had complained of chest pain and fainted. Doctors treating the actor said his condition is critical as his vital organs are not responding. Other media reports also claimed there was 100 percent blockage in one of his arteries.
Vivekh is currently admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and has been put on ECMO (Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) treatment, according to media sources.
Vivekh, who is a Padma Shree recipient, is known for featuring in several hit films like Minnale, M. Kumaran S/o Mahalakshmi, Run, Saamy, Dhool, Kushi and Sivaji, to name a few. He was last seen in Dharala Prabhu, the Tamil remake of the Hindi movie Vicky Donor.
He won the Filmfare Award under the Best Comedian category for his performance in Perazhagan, which was released in 2004.
Apart from being an actor, playback singer and comedian, Vivek was also an activist who was involved in a lot of social and philanthropic measures. He had developed a close rapport with late President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam when he met him years ago. Abdul Kalam had advised him to promote the need for a green movement and to plant more trees. So, Vivekh started a movement to plant a billion trees across Tamil Nadu by creating awareness among the school children and college students.
More recently, Vivekh was also the brand ambassador to create awareness for propagating COVID-19 vaccination among the people and had also taken a vaccine on Thursday.
The comedian is famous for his witty but educational humour based on social issues that need attention.