Vijayakanth has acted in nearly 150 films. His fans have called him Captain ever since he portrayed an IFS officer in his 1991 hit film 'Captain Prabhakaran'.
After being courted by various political parties in Tamil Nadu, actor-politician Vijayakanth has announced that his DMDK will go it alone in the May assembly polls.
Vijayakanth's move ensures a six-way contest in the state.
The 2014 national election marked a political coming of age for the 62-year-old former actor.
Vijayakanth, more popular as 'Captain', set up his Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) party in 2005 amid much fanfare and expectations, pitching it as an alternative to Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's AIADMK and M Karunanidhi's DMK.
In the 2009 national election, his party did not win a single seat in Tamil Nadu. But in the 2011 state election, the DMDK won 29 seats in alliance with the AIADMK, pushing DMK to the third position and becoming the main opposition part.
For the first time, the two traditional political behemoths, AIADMK and DMK, had to grapple with a man who could make a damaging rival, though a useful ally.
In 2012, Vijayakanth fell out with Jayalalithaa after a disagreement over how many seats his party would contest in municipal elections.
Vijayakanth has acted in nearly 150 films. His fans have called him 'Captain' ever since he portrayed an IFS officer in his 1991 hit film "Captain Prabhakaran".
The Captain and his party draw much of their support from northern Tamil Nadu.
The multiple proposals he received for his party in 2014 and also ahead of the state polls signal his growing influence.
The Captain is married with two children who are not in politics.
His blockbuster hits include
"Pulan Visaaranai" and
"Oomai Vizhigal" and fans love him most in his roles as police inspector and labour leader.