"We have gone back to the same world."
The writer of the upcoming Race 4, Shiraz Ahmed, revealed whether Salman Khan will return to the franchise.
Salman produced and starred in Race 3 (2018), taking over the male lead from Saif Ali Khan, who appeared in the first two instalments.
However, Shiraz confirmed that Salman Khan would not appear in Race 4.
Instead, Saif will make an anticipated return to the franchise, along with Sidharth Malhotra.
Fans of the Race franchise can look forward to an exciting continuation, as Race 4 is set to pick up where Race 2 ended.
Shiraz, who penned all three films, announced that filming is scheduled to commence in January 2025.
He said: “For Race 4, we have continued the story and characters from [the first two parts].
“We have gone back to the same world of the first two films.”
He mentioned that the script is nearing completion and that the casting process is also underway.
Shiraz also mentioned that the full cast will be revealed by the producers, Tips Films, at a later date.
The first two films from the franchise were directed by the renowned duo Abbas-Mustan.
Race 3 was helmed by Remo D’Souza. The director for Race 4 is yet to be finalised.
Discussing the narrative direction of Race 4, Shiraz claimed the film will return to the familiar themes and characters of the first two instalments.
Despite Salman Khan’s star power, Race 3 received a lukewarm response from the audience.
Reflecting on the mixed reviews, Shiraz acknowledged that Race 3 strayed from the established character dynamics and the expectations of the audience.
He said: “In Race 3, we shifted a bit from the Race franchise in terms of characters.
“If you remove the title Race from the film, you will enjoy it.
“People went to see Race, but they got to see something else. We had Salman Khan in the film.
“So, you need to keep certain things in mind. He doesn’t play negative roles.
“Mainly, his fans would never like to see him in a negative role. So, certain boundaries came about.”
“Still, we tried to do whatever we could.”
Race 3 was criticised for its lacklustre dialogues, including: “Our business is our business. None of your business.”
With Saif Ali Khan’s return to the franchise, the audience can hope for a renewed take on the Race franchise while also revisiting its roots.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Salman Khan will next be seen in AR Murugadoss’ Sikandar.
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