Vivek

Who Is Vivek (actor)? Age, Biography and Wiki

Born on November 19, 1961, Vivek was 59 years old at the time of his death. He was born in Villupuram, Tamil Nadu, India. A talented performer, he carved out a niche in Tamil cinema with a career spanning over three decades. Celebrated for his unique style of humor, Vivek often infused social messages in his work, touching the hearts of millions.

Occupation	Musicians
Date of Birth	November 19, 1961
Age	59 Years
Birth Place	Sankarankovil, Tenkasi District, Tamil Nadu, India
Horoscope	Scorpio
Country	India
Date of death	17 April, 2021
Died Place	Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Popularity

Height, Weight & Measurements

While the exact details of Vivek's height and weight are not publicly documented, he was known for his vibrant personality and energetic performances. Generally, he was considered fit and active, which complemented his dynamic roles in films.

On 16 April 2021, Vivek experienced breathlessness and chest pain and was admitted to a SIMS Hospital in Chennai after falling unconscious at home. Doctors deemed him critical and discovered that he had a thrombosis with 100% blockage in the left anterior descending artery, which caused congestive heart failure.

Following an angioplasty, he died in hospital on 17 April 2021 at the age of 59. He was given a state funeral amidst large crowds near his residence in Virugambakkam, Chennai. A day prior to the attack, Vivek received Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and campaigned for vaccination against COVID-19.

This led to speculation that his death may be linked to the vaccine, however the National Human Rights Commission ruled out any link between the vaccine and his heart attack, and instead related to hypertension. Vivek's funeral took place in Chennai with full state honours.

Family, Dating & Relationship Status

At the time of his passing, Vivek was married to his longtime partner, Arul Prakash. The couple shared a strong bond and were known for their supportive relationship. Together they raised their children, contributing to a warm family environment. There were no public records of extramarital relationships or significant controversies regarding his personal life.

While working at the Secretariat in Chennai, Vivek in his free-time participated at the Madras Humour Club where people would perform stand-up comedy. He helped pioneer the movement to expand and subsequently won the Best Entertainer Award several times during his pantomimes at the club.

Vivek subsequently left Chennai and went on to obtain a bachelor's degree in commerce from Madurai and during semester breaks, he would return and perform at the club. P. R. Govindarajan, Founder of Humour Club, introduced him to film director K.

Balachandar for the first time and began a professional relationship as a script-writer for the director's films. Vivek revealed that after four years, Balachandar explained a situation and asked him to write a script for sixteen characters, which Vivek completed overnight.

He later understood that this was actually a test, and through his performance, Balachandar became closer to Vivek. While assisting with the script for Manathil Uruthi Vendum in 1987, Balachandar offered Vivek an acting role of Suhasini's brother in the film, which he decided to pursue.

He began his career portraying supporting roles and collaborated again with Balachandar in Pudhu Pudhu Arthangal (1989) and Oru Veedu Iru Vasal (1990), before often appearing in the primary cast as a friend to the film's lead actor in films such as K. S. Ravikumar's Putham Pudhu Payanam (1991) and Vikraman's Naan Pesa Ninaipathellam (1993).

He then also made appearances in Rajinikanth's Uzhaippali and Veera, playing secondary cast roles. Vivek had to wait till 1996 to establish himself as a sole comedian who could help carry the film, and thereafter began to appear in increasingly prominent roles in his ventures.

Net Worth and Salary

As of 2025, Vivek's estimated net worth at the time of his death was in the range of INR 50 crore. His earnings came from numerous film projects, brand endorsements, and public appearances. Vivek's success established him as one of the highest-earning comedians in the Indian film industry.

Career, Business and Investments

Vivek's career began with minor roles in the late 1980s, but he quickly rose to fame due to his exceptional comedic timing and acting skills. Over the years, he starred in numerous blockbuster films, earning recognition and accolades for his performances. In addition to acting, he ventured into business, exploring various investment opportunities, including real estate and hospitality.

Vivekanandan (19 November 1961 – 17 April 2021), known professionally as Vivek, was an Indian actor, comedian, television personality, playback singer and social activist who worked in the Tamil film industry. He was introduced in films by director K. Balachander in Manathil Urudhi Vendum (1987)

Social Network

Vivek utilized social media platforms to connect with fans and share his insights. He was active on platforms like Twitter and Instagram, where he often shared humorous anecdotes and motivational messages. His ability to engage with his audience contributed to his popularity within the digital sphere.

Vivek worked on more commercially successful ventures in 2002 and 2003, receiving consecutive Filmfare Award for Best Comedian – Tamil and Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Comedian for his work. His comedy track in Run won him multiple accolades, with a critic adding Vivek's "nods to current social events showed a stroke of brilliance".

He played extended comedy roles in Vikram's Dhool and Priyadarshan's Lesa Lesa, while winning further acclaim for his portrayal of a teacher in Saamy and a software engineer in Parthiban Kanavu. He then played a marginally more serious role in S.

Shankar's coming-of-age tale Boys, portraying a mentor to the group of youngsters, and his performance was well received.

Critics noted that "Vivek, for a change, follows Shankar’s script and delivers with his impeccable sense of comic timing", while the reviewer from The Hindu said "the show belongs to Vivek, he's the mouthpiece for the director." Success continued in 2004, where he retained the Filmfare Award for Best Comedian for his role of a marriage assembler

in Perazhagan, while his roles in Chellamae and M.

Kumaran Son of Mahalakshmi helped contribute to the films' commercial success respectively. His rising profile as an actor meant that he became the first comedian to become an ambassador for the soft drink, securing the sponsorship deal with Mirinda after the brand had carried out market surveys to find a popular promoter.

He also made a special exception to appear in a few artistic films and often charged significantly less remuneration for the ventures, notably playing character roles in Janaki Vishwanathan's Kutty (2001) and Thangar Bachan's Azhagi (2002).

In the later film, the director had requested Vivek to write and appear in a role himself, in order to use his fame to help the film find a distributor for release.

Education

Vivek completed his schooling at the American College in Madurai and later pursued a degree in the arts from the University of Madras. His academic background helped hone his skills and laid the foundation for his illustrious career in entertainment.

In conclusion, Vivek remains a cherished figure in Indian cinema, remembered for his exceptional contributions to comedy and dramatic art. His legacy continues to inspire upcoming talents in the entertainment industry.

In 2009, the Government of India awarded Vivek the Padma Shri award for his contribution to the arts. Sathyabama University conferred Vivek with an honorary doctorate for his contribution to society through cinema. As a television personality, Vivek hosted a number of events and interviewed media personalities, notably A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.

Inspired by Kalam's environmentalism, Vivek founded the Green Kalam initiative in 2010 with the mission of planting one billion trees across Tamil Nadu.