Latest news with #GoodbyeLover
News18
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News18
Saif Ali Khan Nearly Quit Race Over Confusing Script, Say Abbas-Mustan: 'He Didn't Understand...'
Abbas-Mustan reveal Saif Ali Khan almost quit Race and five major stars rejected the film for its complex plot, calling it 'a hammer to the head.' Filmmaking duo Abbas-Mustan, known for their stylish thrillers and unexpected twists, recently opened up about the casting chaos behind their 2008 hit Race. Despite the film's eventual blockbuster status, getting a lead actor on board wasn't easy. In fact, several major Bollywood stars of that era turned it down—because the plot was just too complex. 'Every character in the first Race was grey," the directors shared in a chat with Lucky Bisht on YouTube. 'Five of the biggest stars heard the story and told us they couldn't understand it. One even said it felt like being hit in the head with a hammer. They didn't want to be part of something they couldn't wrap their heads around." Eventually, their producer suggested they try Saif Ali Khan, who at the time was seeking to shed his romantic-hero image. But even Saif wasn't fully convinced. 'He didn't understand the script either, even after reading it four or five times," Abbas-Mustan admitted. 'But he told us he'd do the film if we gave him great songs." However, the twist came off-screen first—Saif even tried to quietly back out. 'He later went behind our back and tried to get out of the film," the directors revealed with a chuckle. Known for keeping their audiences guessing, Abbas-Mustan said they always aim to 'play with the audience's mind." And their efforts were acknowledged by none other than Amitabh Bachchan himself. They recalled a memorable conversation when Bachchan said he had watched Race on a flight: 'I sat stunned for three hours after watching the film. You did a great job." Adding a dash of humour to the behind-the-scenes drama, Saif once shared during an East India Comedy interview how co-star Bipasha Basu had one day casually revealed on set that she had just seen a film called Goodbye Lover—and that it had the exact same plot as Race. When confronted, Abbas-Mustan sheepishly admitted that it was indeed their 'inspiration." Race went on to become a major franchise. Saif returned for Race 2, while Race 3 starred Salman Khan and was directed by Remo D'Souza. A fourth film with Saif reportedly reprising his role is currently in early discussions. Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Abbas-Mustan reveal Saif Ali Khan said yes to 'Race' without a thought after others rejected: 'He told us he'd do the film if we gave him great songs'
Filmmaker duo Abbas-Mustan are known for crafting gripping thrillers in Bollywood, and they have now opened up about the challenges they faced while making the 2008 blockbuster Race. They had to approach several stars for the lead role, but many leading actors turned it down, calling it too difficult to decipher. Abbas-Mustan says five big stars in Bollywood rejected Race During a conversation with Lucky Bisht on YouTube, the director duo revealed that every character in the film had grey shades, and Bollywood's top stars struggled to grasp the story during the narration. 'They couldn't make head or tail of it. One of them said it felt like being repeatedly hit on the head with a hammer. We considered these five actors very close friends,' the duo shared. The actors were reluctant to commit to a film they themselves could not fully understand. Did you know Kareena Kapoor rejected Saif Ali Khan's marriage proposal twice? Find out why Saif Ali Khan wanted to break his romantic image with Race The script's non-linear, twist-filled narrative seemed to confuse many actors of that era. It was their producer who recommended Saif Ali Khan for the lead role. Saif, who had been typecast in romantic hero roles, was eager to break away from that image. However, he too found the story hard to follow. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo 'He didn't understand the script either, even after reading it four or five times. But he told us he'd do the film if we gave him great songs. It's another matter that he later went behind our back and tried to get out of the film,' they recalled. Amitabh Bachchan's review after watching 'Race' Saif eventually became the face of the franchise. The directors said their goal has always been to keep audiences guessing and engaged, which was evident in Race's twisting storyline. They fondly recalled veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan's feedback after he happened to watch the film mid-flight. 'I sat stunned for three hours after watching the film. You did a great job,' Bachchan reportedly told them. Saif once recounted an amusing incident on set during a conversation with East India Comedy. He remembered co-star Bipasha Basu discovering that the plot of Race bore a strong resemblance to the Hollywood film Goodbye Lover. She asked Abbas-Mustan about it, and they more or less admitted to having been 'inspired' by the Hollywood movie. There is now talk of a potential fourth instalment, with Saif possibly returning to reprise his iconic role.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Saif Ali Khan went behind our back and tried to quit Race, told us he didn't understand a single word': Abbas-Mustan reveal 5 stars rejected the movie
Director duo Abbas-Mustan, best known for their densely plotted thrillers, spoke about the difficulty they had in casting the lead role in their film Race. They said that several major Bollywood stars of that era rejected the offer, and that all of them found the plot of the film to be too complicated. One of them even told them that listening to the narration felt like getting hit in the head with a hammer. They were eventually told to approach Saif Ali Khan, who also had his reservations about the project. In an interview, Abbas-Mustan said that Saif wanted to change his on-screen image at the time, and had even tried to wiggle out of the project without telling them. Chatting with Lucky Bisht on YouTube, the director duo recalled, 'Every character in the first Race was grey. Five of the biggest stars heard the story and told us that they couldn't understand it. They couldn't make head or tail of it. One of them said that it felt like being repeatedly hit in the head with a hammer. They didn't want to do a film that they themselves couldn't understand. We considered these five actors to be very close friends.' Also read – 'Shah Rukh Khan waited for me to say no to Baazigar before he could say yes,' recalls Deepak Tijori: 'I had narrated the story to Abbas-Mustan, but they went to SRK' They continued, 'Then, our producer suggested that we approach Saif Ali Khan. Saif was experienced, and he wanted to detach himself from romantic films. He didn't understand the script as well, even after reading it four or five times. But he told us that he'd do the film if we gave him a great songs. It's another thing that he later went behind our back and tried to get out of the film.' They said that their goal is to always 'play with the audience's mind', and to give them stories that they can't predict. They recalled an interaction they had with Amitabh Bachchan at his house one day, when he told them that he caught Race on a flight, and was really impressed with it because he couldn't tell where the story was going. 'I sat stunned for three hours after watching the film, you did a great job,' he told them. In a humorous interaction with East India Comedy, Saif recalled how, one day on set, Bipasha Basu announced that she had just watched a film titled Goodbye Lover, and discovered that it basically had the same plot as Race. Saif said that they asked Abbas-Mustan about it, and that they sheepishly admitted to having been 'inspired' by Goodbye Lover. Race was followed by a sequel, also starring Saif. A third film was headlined by Salman Khan, but didn't involve Abbas-Mustan. A fourth instalment with Saif back in the lead is being discussed.
