Salman Khan took over Saif Ali Khan’s role in the third installment of the popular “Race” franchise. Despite “Race 3” being an average success, many fans missed Saif. The film’s producer, Ramesh Taurani, recently spoke about Saif’s reaction to being replaced by Salman.
In an interview with Showsha, Taurani addressed whether Saif was upset about the change. He explained that Saif’s market value at the time did not justify the budget of “Race 3.” Taurani stated, “Saif and I never fought. But yes, he was upset. ‘Race,’ after all, was his franchise. It’s Saif’s biggest hit to date. Unfortunately, he had four or five films that didn’t do well afterward. Every actor experiences ups and downs. ‘Race’ is a very expensive franchise, and we had to consider the profit and box office outcome for such a big-budget film.”
He continued, “An actor’s box office standing matters when casting for a franchise film. It just didn’t make sense to cast him in ‘Race 3.’ It was a business decision, nothing personal. He’s a very good actor.”
As for their upcoming projects, Saif Ali Khan will next be seen in the movie “Devara,” where he plays the antagonist Bhairava opposite Jr NTR. This film marks his debut in Telugu cinema, alongside Janhvi Kapoor, and is set to release in theaters on October 10. Salman Khan is currently working on his upcoming movie “Sikandar,” which also stars Rashmika Mandanna and Sathyaraj, directed by AR Murugadoss, and scheduled for an Eid 2025 release.
