Only Saif Ali Khan and Sidharth Malhotra approached for Race 4, clarifies producer Ramesh Taurani

Ramesh Taurani, producer of Tips Films, has made an official statement, putting an end to whispers and speculation around the star cast of the upcoming installment in the Race franchise. The producer confirmed that scripting is underway for Race 4 and made it clear that Saif Ali Khan and Sidharth Malhotra are the only actors being considered for the action thriller at this time.

Ramesh Taurani's clarification on casting discussions

"We would like to clarify that we are currently in discussions only with Saif Ali Khan and Sidharth Malhotra for the next instalment of the Race franchise (Race 4), which is currently in its scripting phase," said the statement made by Taurani. 

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Additionally, the producer emphasised the need to only rely on official updates and pleaded with media outlets and social media users not to share unverified material. So far, they haven't reached out to any additional actors. In addition, the statement urged the media and social media platforms to refrain from spreading misinformation until their PR team issued an official statement.

Background on casting rumours and franchise history

Several rumours had already connected the action-packed franchise to a number of famous Bollywood figures, including new-age female stars, so this news comes as no surprise. While Salman Khan's Race 3 (2018) was mostly unreceived by critics and moviegoers, Saif Ali Khan's Race and Race 2 were commercial successes and eventually became cult classics thanks to their striking aesthetics, nail-biting suspense, and stellar acting.

An attempt to inject new life into the original Race formula was made with the casting of Sidharth Malhotra, who is recognised for his action performances in films such as Shershaah and Marjaavaan. In the event that the partnership comes to fruition, it will be Saif's first appearance in the franchise since Race 2 (2013), which was more than a decade ago.

Future announcements

While plot and casting specifics for the high-octane film won't be revealed for a while, social media is going crazy over the confirmation of first negotiations with Khan and Malhotra. In the next months, we may anticipate additional official announcements as the scripting moves along.

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