Saif Ali Khan, one of the popular actors in Bollywood in the 1990s, continued his dominance in the 2000s with the popular Race film series. However, the film franchise’s fortune took a negative turn with the release of the 2018 film Race 3, which starred Salman Khan. The third installment marked a significant decline in the film series’ popularity. Now, six years after Race 3’s release, producer Ramesh Taurani talks about the film and why Saif Ali Khan was replaced.

Ramesh Taurani defends Race 3

Recently in an interview with, founder of Tips Industries Limited, Ramesh Taurani, who backed Race 3 alongside Salman Khan, spoke about the film’s performance at the box office. Not only did he defend Salman Khan, but also compared Race 3’s box office collection with the first two films.

“Race 3 actually collected the maximum business than the first two parts. The first 'Race' did Rs 65 crore, the second one did 118 crore and Race 3 did Rs 180 crore. Because it was Salman Khan's film, the expectations were higher and it didn’t cross Rs 200 crores, people thought the film didn't do well,” Taurani stated.

Saif Ali Khan was upset about getting replaced?

Saif's portrayal of Ranvir Singh in the 2008 original was much appreciated. Previously in another interview with News18, Ramesh Taurani shared that Saif Ali Khan was quite upset about getting replaced in the Race film series by Salman Khan. While defending the move, Taurani shared that after Race 2, Saif had a series of flops, and Race 3 was quite an expensive venture, hence it did not make sense to cast him again. Later he also clarified that it was absolutely business, nothing personal.

Saif Ali Khan's upcoming film

Despite suffering one of the biggest flops of his career last year with Adipurush, Saif Ali Khan is gearing up for Jr. NTR-starrer Devara: Part-1. The Telugu film also features Janhvi Kapoor and Bobby Deol in a pivotal role.

Devara Part-1 teaser revealed that Khan will be playing Bhaira, who is seen beating up his opponents in the short glimpse.  Devara: Part-1 is gearing up for a September 27, 2024, release.

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