Vivekh cremated with state honours in Chennai, Shankar, Suriya and Trisha pay respects

Actor Vivekh got a funeral with full state honours on Saturday. Stars from south film industry such as Suriya and Trisha paid their final respects.

Actor Vivekh, who died on Saturday after suffering a massive cardiac arrest, was cremated with full state honours. Several popular celebrities such as actor Suriya, Trisha and filmmaker Shankar, among others, paid their last respects to his mortal remains.

Actor Vivekh died on Saturday in Chennai.

Vivekh, who suffered a massive cardiac arrest on Friday morning in Chennai, was rushed to the SIMS hospital in an unconscious state. He suffered a cardiac arrest due to 100% blockage in a heart vessel. He was revived and underwent an emergency coronary angiogram followed by angioplasty. He was then put on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) support - to circulate blood through an artificial lung back into the bloodstream.

He breathed his last early Saturday morning. His sudden demise sent shockwaves across the industry and several celebrities took to social media to share their condolences.

As per media reports, Vivekh’s last rites were held at the crematorium in Mettukuppam, Virugambakkam. He was given full state honours by the government for his contribution to art and social reforms.

Several celebrities such as Suriya, Jyothika, Karthi, Trisha, Shankar, Khushbu Sundar and Yogi Babu paid their last respects.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned Vivekh’s demise via a tweet. He wrote: “The untimely demise of noted actor Vivek has left many saddened. His comic timing and intelligent dialogues entertained people. Both in his films and his life, his concern for the environment and society shone through. Condolences to his family, friends and admirers. Om Shanti.”

Actors such as Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, R. Madhavan and Vikram took to Twitter to share their condolences.

Vivekh was a very popular comedian who has starred in over 200 films over the last three decades. A Padma Shri recipient, Vivek was a social activist and had even closely worked with former president APJ Abdul Kalam.

He was last seen on screen in Tamil film Dharala Prabhu, a remake of Vicky Donor. He played the role of a doctor, originally essayed by Annu Kapoor.