Saif Ali Khan Reveals He Was Originally Offered Akshaye Khanna's Role In Race, Here's Why He Refused

Salman Khan may have inherited the Race franchise from Saif Ali Khan but a fact any fan of the franchise have been certain about after the release of Race 3 has been that Saif did better justice to the films as the lead. Saif though revealed that he wasn’t offered to play the lead in the original Abbas Mastan Race.

Yes! Recently while promoting his upcoming film Laal Kaptaan, Saif Ali Khan told Bollywood Hungama that he was approached to play the bratty and evil younger brother when Race was offered to him. However, he was tired of such characters and refused the part only to convince the makers to cast him as Ranvir Singh in the film who was the older brother and the lead.

The makers wanted Akshay Kumar or some other actor to play the lead but confided in Saif and gave him the part. Akshaye Khanna was eventually approached to play the villain and younger brother and looking back today we think the casting couldn’t have been better.

Race released in 2008 and was the story of two stepbrothers plotting to kill each other to win the family fortune. The film also starred Bipasha Basu and Katrina Kaif and was a big box office success.