Tamil actor Vivek in critical condition, undergoes angioplasty

Popular Tamil actor Vivek on Friday morning reportedly suffered a heart attack and has been admitted to the intensive care unit of a private hospital in Chennai.

The 59-year-old actor reportedly fainted after expressing discomfort and his family rushed him to the SIMS Hospital at Vadapal in his unconscious state. He later underwent an emergency coronary angiogram followed by angioplasty.

He is currently in critical condition and on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in the intensive care unit of the hospital.

The ace actor had earlier made headlines on Thursday for his efforts to remove the fear of the COVID vaccine among the public. Instead of opting for a private hospital, he had chosen to get vaccinated from a government hospital to spread awareness.

Vivek, who was last seen in the Tamil remake of the Hindi film 'Vicky Donor' titled 'Dharala Prabhu', is also part of director Shankar's upcoming film 'Indian 2', which stars Kamal Haasan in the lead role.

Legendary filmmaker K Balachander had launched Vivek in the late 1980s. He later went on to become one of the most sought-after comedy actors of Tamil cinema and still retains his stronghold in the industry.

Apart from being an actor and a comedian, Vivek is also an activist and a playback singer. He is widely regarded for his performances in movies like 'Perazhagan', 'Run', 'Perazhagan', among several others.

( With inputs from ANI )