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Race: Horses, women or money – which is more thrilling?

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Race Movie
Why would anyone look at anything else when not only one but three sexy sirens are trying to woo you out? Abbas – Mastan make it a point that you do. This is the second comic thriller of 2008 after Sunday, where you have a crime and you need to figure out who rather why on earth somebody did it. This pair of directors has always given us some nail biting thrillers in the past be it Baazigar, Khiladi or Humraaz. When you speak about the cogs and vines of making a thriller, Abbas – Mastan have a clear cut winning check-mate. Bollywood seems to be in a mood for catching up with Hollywood rather than merely copy it. Name anything, the up to the minute style, edge of the seats visuals, or the well calculated twist and turns, everything in the movie takes you in for a thrilling time.

Rating: 3/5

Katrina Kaif, Saif Ali Khan in RACE
Katrina Kaif, Saif Ali Khan in RACE

Race is a movie about out-running time, fate and actions while stuck in the whirlpool of a crime. Ranvir and Rajiv is a pair of rich, handsome and young step brothers with a huge inheritance to live on. The South African horse racing market acknowledges them to be the biggest bookies, who are just too lucky on the race course. So where does the motive to kill each other arise. Greed, lust and revenge, the usual themes for a thrilling plot to develop on, score a sixer here. While the brothers are seemingly leading a happy life, the younger one is having trouble with alcohol. Sophia, Ranvir’s beautiful and elegant secretary is going ga ga over the boss but the boss is stuck with the hot Sonia, a bright Indian ramp stunner. Sonia falling prey to the directorial omnipresence gets married to the younger brother calling for an unhappy marital relation leading to an imminent and assured extra marital affair. Ranvir, the go getter and Sonia, the dreamy eyed one, have soft and cozy corners in each other’s heart and come even closer with Rajeev’s drinking problems. This leads to the younger brother to doubt an illicit affair between his shrewd as a crow brother and hot as an oven wife. The story gets more complicated with a crime taking place and the introduction of a modern Karamchand and Kitty pair in detective Robert D’Costa aka RD (for a change this time our detective doesn’t depend on Carrots for a sharper brain, instead seems to be seen with different fruits in each scene) and the dumb assistant Mini.

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Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna
Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna

Keeping this story line intact, Abbas – Mastan set the movie in three different countries, Durban’s race courses and ranches, Dubai’s skyscrapers and Indian locals. Agreed that this duo has not been commercially that successful in ventures like Naqaab and 36 China Town, but they have definitely not lost the touch. The careful handling of the open and close aspects of the movie demands a pat on their backs. The characters are developed in the first half with the right amount of exposure needed to let the audience study them well before getting in for a thorough examination. There is absolutely no hurry shown in the first part and the scene is set for the second part to race along in a frenzy.

Ranvir is played by the local Iago himself, Saif Ali Khan, who is flying high on tattoos and rumors of having an affair with the fair Desdemona aka Kareena now. He has beyond doubt grown as an actor with some intense movies like Omkara and Eklavya. Chote Nawab is just perfect as the shrewd and dashing young businessman. The scene when he blows the car of his jockey up is simply awesome. An obvious Abbas – Mastan favorite Akshaye Khanna has the most intriguing and wicked smile that the Hindi film industry can boast of now. Akshaye is just infectious yet so adorable as the mean younger brother Rajeev. He had used it to the maximum gain in Humraaz and again there is a spellbound performance in Race. Bipasa Basu as Sonia the caught between the devil and deep sea wife is good. Though she isn’t as sexy as in her other movies, she is excellent in the action sequence.

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Saif Ali Khan and Bipasha Basu in RACE
Saif Ali Khan and Bipasha Basu in RACE
Anil Kapoor was the surprise fun pack of the movie. His dialogue delivery and quizzical looks were enough to prove the seasoned actor that he is. He is introduced in the second part but still he has a meaty role to play. One more twist in the movie, which I bet has not been intended is the characters of Sophia played by the beautiful as a marble figure Katrina Kaif and the dumb assistant Mini played by Sameera Reddy. They have no doubt been switched. Katrina needs to depend on her executive like looks and sultry figure to win the audience; otherwise she is the dumbest in the movie. Sameera’s role was difficult as she had to look dumb when someone is so breathtakingly hot.

Shiraz Ahmed has added the extra notch to the screenplay that was required for this movie but at times it falls flat and a little more tightening of the situations would have helped to get a better impact. But he needs an applause nonetheless for creating characters with the darkest sides coming to the surface more than once. Abbas – Mastan could have never got the effect they desired without the perfect cinematography by Ravi Yadav. The movie owes half the success to him and his smart use of the camera. Keeping in mind the movie was produced by music giants, the music was expected to be pretty good but the songs are out of place and are only mediocre. Even though Pritam has given some soulful music so far, he definitely missed out in this one.

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>> Race Movie Premiere >>

Overall, the movie is a good one time watch for an increased adrenaline rush!

Rating: 3/5

— Mahua Ray for Hamara Photos

>> Movie Stills

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5 COMMENTS

  1. bipasha is a bitch she thinks 2 much of herself i think katrina akif and saif ali khan sit each other katrina kaif is the prettiest of all nation and kareena kapoor is just a slut and a slag i wish saif dumps her and goes 2 katrina kaif god knowz y he duz nt lyk katrina she iz sooo pretty and saof and kat suit each other in dat zara zara touch me toch me and khawab dekhe she looks so sexy

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