How Saif Ali Khan nearly abandoned Race after struggling with its labyrinthine screenplay

Saif Ali Khan overcame confusion with Race’s script and delivered one of his most unforgettable thriller performances on screen.

Published: Saturday,Jul 19, 2025 19:03 PM GMT-06:00

Anam Kazi

How Saif Ali Khan nearly abandoned Race after struggling with its labyrinthine screenplay — Source: Google

When Race released in 2008, its sleek visuals and twist-heavy storyline helped turn it into one of Bollywood’s most successful thrillers. But the filmmakers behind it, Abbas-Mustan, recently revealed that the road to getting the film made was anything but smooth—and that Saif Ali Khan nearly quit before shooting began.

In a conversation with former NSG commando Lucky Bisht on YouTube, the director duo said five leading actors from that time turned the film down. The reason? The story was too confusing. “Every character in Race was grey,” they explained. “Five big stars heard the script and told us it was too complicated. One even said it felt like being hit with a hammer.”

Eventually, producer Ramesh Taurani suggested Saif Ali Khan for the lead role. At the time, Saif was actively trying to break out of his romantic hero phase and take on more layered characters. But even he wasn’t entirely on board at first. Abbas-Mustan said, “Saif didn’t understand the script either—even after reading it four or five times. But he said yes when we promised him great music.”

However, the commitment didn’t come without hiccups. The directors disclosed that Saif once tried to quietly back out. “He went behind our back and tried to get out of the film,” they said with a laugh.

Despite the early doubts, the film found critical and commercial success. Amitabh Bachchan himself told them he was “stunned for three hours” after watching it during a flight.

There was also a lighter moment on set. Saif recalled during an East India Comedy chat that Bipasha Basu once mentioned watching a film called Goodbye Lover—and realised it had the same plot. When she confronted Abbas-Mustan, they admitted the Hollywood thriller had inspired them.

Race eventually spawned two sequels. Saif returned in Race 2, while Race 3 starred Salman Khan and was directed by Remo D’Souza. A fourth film is reportedly in early development, with talks of Saif reprising his original role once again.