Celebrating Vivek's legacy: 5 movies that prove that he truly is the Chinna Kalaivaanar

Padma Shri recipient and Tamil actor Vivek passed away in the early hours of April 17. He was rushed to a private hospital in Chennai following a heart attack on Friday. He was 59.

Vivek underwent an angioplasty and stenting procedure for his 100 per cent blockage in the LAD (left anterior descending artery) vessel. However, the actor passed away at 4:35 am on April 17.

The news of Vivek’s demise has left fans and celebrities in shock. AR Rahman, Sudhachandran and Mohan Raja mourned his death on their social media handles. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on Twitter.

The actor, also known as Chinna Kalaivaanar, received several awards for his performances over the course of his career. A renowned name in Tamil films, Vivek’s roles in films like Kushi, Dum Dum Dum, Alaipayuthey and Mugavaree will be remembered for years to come.

Appearing in more than 200 films, the actor’s prolific career is testament to his ability to charm the audiences and deliver memorable comedic performances. We have put together a list of five films that celebrate the legacy of Vivek and prove that he was truly an indispensable entity in the Tamil comedy scene.

Vivek steals the show in VIP by playing the role of Azhagusundaram, Dhanush’s older-coworker. This 2014 Tamil movie, Velaiilla Pattadhari (popularly known as VIP) featured Vivek breaking away from the traditional slapstick humour that was prevalent in Tamil films. Instead, his portrayal of Azhagusundaram was filled with equal parts of hilarity and sensitivity. Directed by Velraj, VIP also stars Dhanush, Amala Paul and Saranya Ponvannan.

Playing the role of an orthodox Brahmin, Vivek includes social commentary in his humour in this film. Saamy, directed by Hari, is the story of a corrupt policeman who decides to correct his mistakes when he falls in love with a woman. The film also stars Trisha and Vikram.

Playing the role of Mangalam sir, Vivek delivered a riotous performance in Boys. Introduced as a depressed man at a bar, the character of Mangalam transforms from being used by the lead characters for their advantage, to their mentor who helps them pursue their musical talents. Directed by Shankar, Boys stars Siddharth, Genelia Deshmukh and Bharath.

Vivek’s performance in Run is one that was well received across audiences of all ages. He plays the role of Mohan, a young man who moves to the city and his character’s observational humour takes a dig at the mundane. Directed by N Linguswamy, Run also stars R Madhavan and Meera Jasmine.

Vivek plays the titular character’s right-hand man Mama in Sivaji: The Boss. Mama helps Sivaji with his dream project and in finding a perfect match. Though the film is a commentary on poverty in India, Vivek’s performance brings humour to this action film by Shankar. Sivaji: The Boss stars Rajinikanth and Shriya Saran.