Vikram apes Kamal Haasan

Chennai, Jan 1 (IANS) Vikram is doing a Kamal Haasan on two counts - selection of films and muscle building for roles.

Kamal is known to follow up every serious film of his with a couple of lighter ones. "Vasoolraja M.B.B.S." and "Mumbai Express", which came close on the heels of "Veerumandi", a cinematic plea against capital punishment, are some instances.

Similarly Vikram chased down the heavy "Anniyan", a histrionic challenge that he met successfully, with "Mazaa", a pure entertainer. His next release will also be an entertaining action flick, "Bheema".

After that will come, according to current plans, a Tamil remake of Malayalam film "Chaandupottu". This will have an effeminate hero, a role that will test Vikram's acting skills again.

Kamal is also known to have gone for bodybuilding before playing two of his famous roles that called for muscle flexing - in "Aalavandhan" and "Hey Ram".

Vikram is doing the same to prepare himself for the tough-guy title role in "Bheema". As part of the exercise, after the completion of "Mazaa", he underwent a weeks-long ayurvedic rejuvenation course in Coimbatore.

"Bheema", with Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif as the heroine, is likely to be released in the summer of 2006.