Viji

Viji was an Indian actress, who appeared in Tamil and Malayalam. She made her debut in Kozhi Koovuthu and acted in over 40 films.

Biography

Born in 1966, Viji made her acting debut at the age of 16 in the 1982 Tamil romantic musical drama Kozhi Koovuthu. . Also starring Prabhu, Suresh and Silk Smitha, the film was a huge success and ran for over 300 days in the theatres. She became a star after her first film itself, and worked with superstars Rajinikanth and Vijayakanth in Tamil cinema, and Mohanlal and Mammootty in the Malayalam cinema over the next few years.

During shooting for a song sequence in the Vijay-starrer Poove Unakkaga, Viji experienced hip and back pain and she underwent an operation on her spinal cord in 1996 at the Chennai Apollo Hospitals. The operation failed and doctors found an acute infection in the wound caused by the surgery. After more surgeries, and made a comeback to films in 2000 with Simmasanam. Vijayakanth, who had acted with Viji in many films, gave her an opportunity to star in the film and had promised to give her a role in his next film Vaanchinathan also, but Simmasanam ultimately remained her last film.

On 27 November 2000, Viji committed suicide in her home in Chennai. Her suicide note blamed a failed love affair with director A R Ramesh, who was already married. The Hindu reported that the prosecution case was that Ramesh promised to marry her but declined later and that three days prior to her death, Ramesh met Viji at a function and abused her. Ramesh, his wife, A R Sumathi, and his friend Chinnasamy were charged with "abetting the suicide" of Viji and prosecuted by the Mahila Court and acquitted.

Filmography Year Film Role Language Notes 1982 Kozhi Koovuthu Kamakshi Tamil 1983 Saatchi Tamil Poikkal Kudhirai Janaki Tamil Muggurammayila Mogudu Telugu En Priyame Tamil Ullam Uruguthadi Tamil Dhooram Adhighamillai Meena Tamil Valarthakada Tamil Anney Anney Rathna Tamil Dowry Kalyanam Gowri Tamil 1984 Raja Veettu Kannukkutti Pavithra Tamil Sukradhisai Tamil Thenkoodu Tamil Vetri Shanti Tamil Sathyam Neeye Tamil Uravai Kaatha Kili Tamil Sahasame Jeevitham Chaaya Telugu Nalla Naal Latha Tamil Dhinamthorum Deepavali Tamil Onnum Mindatha Bharya Malayalam Uyarangalil Vasanthi Malayalam 1985 Pudhu Yugam Radha Tamil Nayakan Parvathi Malayalam Kutravaaligal Tamil Eetti Valli Tamil Kattukulle Thiruvizha Tamil Mookanankayiru Tamil Pournami Raavil 3D Malayalam 1986 Mr. Bharath Ponni Tamil Karimedu Karuvayan Tamil Bhadil Solval Bhadrakali Bhadrakali Tamil Marakka Mattaen Tamil Padikkatha Padam Tamil Sayam Sandhya Malayalam Raja Nee Vaazhga Tamil 1987 Dhoorathu Pachai Tamil 1988 Neruppu Nila Tamil Charavalayam Malayalam 1989 Eenam Thettatha Kattaru Ponni Malayalam Sattathin Marupakkam Rosy Tamil 1990 Aavathellam Pennale Tamil Avanga Namma Ooru Ponnunga Tamil 1992 Suriyan Dancer Tamil Special appearance 1993 Rikshaw Thambi Tamil Uzhaippali Dancer Tamil Special appearance Suriyan Chandiran Tamil En Idhaya Rani Bhanu Tamil 1994 Atha Maga Rathiname Vijaya Tamil Veetla Visheshanga Tamil 1996 Poove Unakkaga Viji Tamil Special appearance 2000 Simmasanam Kannamma Tamil