Chennai, Sep 13 (IANS) Tamil actor-turned-politician Vijaykanth is now set to turn director with a film that is said to have many political connotations.

To be titled 'Vridhagiri' after the presiding deity of a central Tamil Nadu temple town and railway junction Vriddhachalam, the movie will see the star act as well, sources close to the actor told IANS.

Vijaykanth was elected legislator from Vriddhachalam constituency in 2006 in his debut contest.

Publicists associated with the film said the star would play an honest cop in his directorial debut and would mouth dialogues full of political innuendos.

Born in 1952 in a family with Telugu origins in southern Tamil Nadu, Vijaykanth began his movie career in 1979.

He got noticed when three of his films became hits in 1981 - 'Thoorathu Idi Muzhakkam', 'Sattam Oru Iruttarai' and 'Sigappu Malli'.

Nicknamed 'Captain' after a character he played in his 100th film, Vijaykanth heads the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK).

While Vijaykanth claims to be the real political heir of former actor-politician M.G. Ramachandran, both Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi of the DMK and AIADMK chief J. Jayalalitha have dismissed him as a political upstart.

Significantly, electoral alliances with Vijaykanth have been frowned upon by smaller parties led by actors Sarath Kumar and Karthick. The proponent of the state's third political front - Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) founder S. Ramadoss - has also launched a scathing attack on the matinee idol.

Vijaykanth hopes to negate these through the new film, his publicists said.