Actor-politician Karthik, who is currently campaigning for the AIADMK-led alliance in the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, has been admitted to a private hospital in Chennai after he reportedly complained of breathlessness on Saturday evening. He was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Fortis Malar Hospital in Chennai’s Adyar. While he continues to receive treatment at the hospital, the actor’s COVID-19 tests have reportedly returned negative. More details on the status of his health are awaited.
Karthik entered politics in 2006 and currently heads the Manitha Urimaigal Kaakkum Katchi, a party that he formed in 2018 before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Karthik pledged his alliance to the AIADMK during the 2019 general elections and continues to campaign for the AIADMK-led alliance this Assembly election too.
During the 2011 Assembly elections, actor Karthik announced his own political party Agila India Naadalum Makkal Katchi after AIADMK, then led by J Jayalalithaa, refused to give him a ticket under their alliance. Karthik announced that he would contest independently from his party in at least 25 constituencies, largely in Tirunelveli and Virudhunagar districts.
Earlier in March this year, actor Karthik met with AIADMK leader and Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, and expressed his support. Karthik, who holds a pull on the Thevar vote bank in southern Tamil Nadu states, has been campaigning for the AIADMK-PMK-BJP alliance.
Karthik, who was last seen playing a cameo in actor Karthi’s Dev (2019), has two films in the making. This includes Thee Ivan, where he plays the lead. The actor is also part of Prashanth’s Tamil remake of Andhadhun. Titled Andhagan, this film will star Simran and Karthik playing the older couple. In the Hindi original, actors Anil Dhawan and Tabu had played the couple. Andhagan will also star Yogi Babu, KS Raviumar, Urvashi and Priya Anand among others.