Ten years ago, a multi-starrer thriller hit the screens. Directed by the duo Abbas-Mustan, Race was a carnival of conspiracy and plot-twists.
The film explored themes of sibling rivalry, betrayal, greed, revenge and passion. Starring Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif, Anil Kapoor and Sameera Reddy, Race gave Bollywood thrillers a whole new persona. Set in South Africa, the story revolved around two brothers who lived on the edge with a high-profile business in horse racing.
The makers also jumped on the “Atif Aslam” bandwagon with a romantic number, i.e. Pehli Nazar Mein. And who can forget the party songs Zara Zara Touch Me and the famous title track Race Saason Ki – Allah Duhai Hai.
The action-packed-suspense-thriller genre of Race and its music soon became a brand, turning it into a franchise.
Race 2 released in 2013 with the same directors, similar storyline of high-profiled protagonists with multi-faceted personalities, a slightly altered cast, and a bigger budget. There was no surprise that this installment would have more plot-twists with betrayals, raging cars, bomb squads, exotic locations, and even more item songs. Race 2 may not have been as popular as its prequel, but it certainly was good enough to deserve a part 3.
Earlier this week the world saw the trailer of the much-awaited Race 3, with only Anil Kapoor as a returning cast member; Saif Ali Khan has been replaced with Salman Khan. The film also stars Bobby Deol, Jacqueline Fernandez, Saqib Saleem, Daisy Shah, and Freddy Daruwala.
A decade later, the director of the series has changed, a multi-starrer is now known as an ensemble cast with higher-octane action sequences, slightly better computer graphics, fancy cars being blown up in fancier locations.
The trailer opens with Salman Khan standing on the terrace of a skyscraper, setting the premise for … well “zindagi ki race.”
Few things that caught our attention – the makers have upped the glamor quotient with actors in extremely chiseled bodies (don’t miss Bobby Deol), tightly choreographed songs (thanks for director-choreographer Remo D’Souza), covering more locations, and definitely more twists and turns.
Watch the trailer here:
Needless to say, the plot revolves around betrayal of family for power, and a whole lot of cheesy one-liners about “business.” It’s no doubt that the film will be a box-office success with its release on Eid and the superstar presence, but let’s hope it’s more than just some cheap thrills and car chases.
