Post
Khiladi
and
Baazigar,
Abbas-Mustan
rightfully
earned
the
tag
of
being
the
undisputed
Badshaahs
of
Thrillers.
They
made
a
series
of
films
thereafter
--
of
varied
genres
--
but
every
time
they
attempted
a
thriller,
the
comparisons
with
Khiladi
and
Baazigar
were
inevitable.
That's
because
Abbas-Mustan
couldn"t
outdo
these
two
films
ever.
The
director
duo's
latest
offering
Race,
which
packs
glitz,
glam
and
style
with
A-listers
[on
and
off
screen],
carries
the
baggage
of
tremendous
expectations.
The
stars,
the
stunning
locales,
the
breath-taking
visuals,
the
mesmeric
songs,
the
electrifying
chase,
the
chic
styling
--
everything
you
see
on
screen
resembles
an
international
flick.
But
the
million
dollar
question
is,
does
it
live
up
to
the
humungous
expectations?
Does
it
have
its
heart
in
the
right
place?
Thankfully,
it
does!
Race
is
Abbas-Mustan's
most
accomplished
work,
after
Baazigar.
Any
thriller
works
if
and
only
if
the
story
has
the
edge-of-the-seat
moments
and
which
catches
you
unawares
as
the
reels
unfold.
Race
has
that
quality.
The
story
moves
in
a
serpentine
manner,
there"s
a
twist
every
fifteen
minutes
and
it's
impossible
to
guess
what
the
culmination
would
be.
In
a
nutshell,
Race
is
a
first-rate
product
all
the
way.
It's
not
just
style,
but
there's
substance
as
well.
It
has
the
merits
to
get
catapulted
to
the
Bests
of
2008,
when
you
reflect
on
the
year.
Bravo!
Ranvir
[Saif
Ali
Khan]
and
Rajiv
[Akshaye
Khanna]
are
step-brothers
who
own
a
huge
stud
farm
in
Durban,
South
Africa.
They
breed
horses
on
their
huge
ranch
house
and
are
also
the
biggest
bookies
in
the
horse
racing
circuit.
Ranvir,
the
elder
of
the
two,
is
known
to
be
a
very
shrewd
man.
He
is
very
aggressive
and
is
always
on
the
move.
Rajiv,
on
the
other
hand,
is
very
laidback
and
is
also
a
chronic
alcoholic.
Sophia
[Katrina
Kaif]
is
Ranvir's
personal
secretary.
She
adores
her
boss
and
loves
him.
Ranvir
is
totally
unaware
of
her
feeling
and
regards
her
adoration
as
her
efficiency.
Sonia
[Bipasha
Basu]
is
an
upcoming
Indian
ramp
model
in
Durban.
Sonia
loves
Ranvir,
but
through
a
twist
of
fate
gets
married
to
Rajiv.
When
she
discovers
that
Rajiv
is
a
chronic
alcoholic,
her
world
is
shattered.
Ranvir
too
is
disturbed
as
he
has
sacrificed
his
love
for
his
younger
brother
because
Rajiv
had
promised
him
that
if
he
gets
married
to
Sonia,
he
will
leave
alcohol
forever.
After
marriage,
Rajiv
breaks
his
promise
and
the
story
starts
getting
complicated.
In
a
weak
moment,
Ranvir
and
Sonia
come
very
close
to
each
other
and
an
affair
starts
between
the
younger
brother's
wife
and
the
elder
brother.
When
the
younger
brother
starts
suspecting
his
wife,
all
hell
breaks
loose.
A
murder
is
committed,
a
contract
killing
is
issued,
double
crossings
become
the
order
of
the
day…
A
sharp-tongued
investigative
officer
R.D.
[Anil
Kapoor]
starts
an
investigation
with
his
brainless
assistant
Mini
[Sameera
Reddy].
Director
duo
Abbas-Mustan
are
in
complete
command
this
time
around.
Everything
is
so
well
synchronized
that
the
end
result
leaves
you
awe-struck.
The
2
+
hours
of
your
precious
life
that
you've
spent
on
this
film
are
absolutely
worth
your
while.
In
36
China
Town
and
Naqaab
specifically,
one
disagreed
with
the
climax.
But
the
penultimate
reels
of
Race
are
foolproof.
Abbas-Mustan
get
it
right
this
time.
Right
from
the
choice
of
subject,
to
the
choice
of
actors,
to
the
thrilling
moments,
music
and
locales,
this
thrill-a-minute
saga
works
big
time.
The
game
of
one-upmanship
indulged
by
the
two
brothers
is
electrifying
and
easily
the
hallmark
of
the
enterprise.
Writer
Shiraz
Ahmed's
screenplay
has
several
moments
that
merit
a
mention.
The
best
part
is,
the
writing
is
full
of
energy
and
surprises,
not
once
does
it
take
the
been-there-seen-that
route.
It
would
be
foolhardy
to
single
out
a
few
sequences
since
the
film
gathers
speed
from
its
inception
itself.
One
of
its
USPs
is
that
every
character
is
out
to
double
cross
the
other,
each
character
has
grey
shades
and
the
dangerous
games
they
indulge
in
make
it
an
exhilarating
cinematic
experience.
Ravi
Yadav's
cinematography
is
topnotch.
The
stunning
locales
of
Durban,
Dubai
and
India
are
captured
lucidly
by
the
DoP.
But,
most
importantly,
the
movement
of
the
camera
at
several
places
deserves
the
highest
praise.
Note
the
very
start
of
the
film
[the
aerial
view,
right
till
the
gruesome
accident]
or
the
car
chase
in
the
climax
[never
seen
before
on
the
Hindi
screen],
the
camerawork
is
stunning.
Pritam's
music
rocks.
Generally,
in
most
thrillers,
the
music
takes
a
backseat,
but
not
here.
'Allah
Duhai
Hai'
[foot-tapping],
'Pehli
Nazar
Mein'
[with
soulful
rendition
by
Atif
Aslam],
'Touch
Me'
[very
saucy]
and
'Sexy
Lady'
[the
new
track;
trendy]
are
terrific
compositions
all
and
their
filming
and
choreography
are
masterly.
The
fact
that
the
yuppie
crowd
has
taken
to
the
songs
in
a
big
way,
says
it
all.
The
Race
at
the
start
and
the
chase
in
the
climax
[Allan
Amin]
are
fantastic.
You
haven't
witnessed
something
like
this
ever
before
on
the
Hindi
screen,
that's
for
sure!
Hussain
Burmawala's
editing
is
razor-sharp.
It's
one
of
the
best
edited
works!
Dialogues
[Anuraag
Prapanna,
Jitendra
Parmar]
are
excellent.
Styling
[Anaita
Shroff
Adajania]
is
superb.
Background
score
[Salim-Sulaiman]
has
the
international
feel.
Choreography
[Bosco-Caesar
and
Ganesh
Acharya]
is
top
class.
Every
actor
in
Race
puts
his/her
best
foot
forward.
Saif
has
been
coming
up
with
sparkling
portrayals
and
films
like
Kal
Ho
Naa
Ho,
Ek
Hasina
Thi,
Hum
Tum,
Salaam
|
Namaste,
Omkara
and
Eklavya
–
the
royal
guard
portrayed
the
actor's
acting
skills
to
the
fullest.
Now
add
Race
to
his
illustrious
repertoire.
He's
marvelous
all
through
and
the
bearded
look
suits
him
very
much.
Akshaye
is
so
perfect.
To
carry
off
a
difficult
character
like
this
is
a
Herculean
task
and
the
supremely
talented
actor
handles
it
with
aplomb.
He's
like
a
chameleon;
he
slips
into
various
roles
with
remarkable
ease.
But
the
fact
cannot
be
denied
that
Abbas-Mustan
bring
out
the
best
in
Akshaye.
Watch
his
body
of
work
and
you'd
agree
that
Akshaye's
performances
in
the
director
duo's
films
have
always
stood
out.
Anil
Kapoor
comes
at
the
interval
point,
but
takes
charge
in
the
post-interval
portions.
With
such
serious
characters
in
the
film,
Anil's
role
comes
as
a
big
relief.
Sure,
the
viewers
may
find
some
of
his
dialogues
crass,
but
the
masses
will
take
to
his
performance
in
a
big
way.
Bipasha
looks
stunning
and
delivers
her
best
work
so
far.
She's
superb.
Katrina
is
a
complete
surprise.
The
actress
looks
gorgeous,
but
most
importantly,
her
character
gives
her
ample
opportunity
to
shine
in
the
latter
half.
Sameera
excels
as
the
dumb
girl.
Actually,
it's
a
tough
job
and
she
does
it
well.
Johny
Lever
is
there
for
one
sequence
and
his
role
is
aimed
at
the
hoi
polloi.
On
the
whole,
Race
is
a
superb
entertainer
all
the
way.
It's
not
just
style,
it
has
substance
as
well.
At
the
box-office,
the
tremendous
hype
coupled
with
the
holidays
in
the
opening
week
as
well
as
the
extensive
release
will
ensure
huge
numbers
in
the
initial
week.
But,
most
importantly,
the
film
has
legs
to
enjoy
a
spirited
run
at
the
box-office.
Smash
Hit!