The much awaited sequel to the hit film is soon to commence

After a whole heap of ‘will they’ and ‘won’t they’, finally the shooting for Race 2 starts on November 5. There has been a lot of speculation over the cast of this Tips Industries film and the final list has been drawn.

“Saif Ali Khan and Anil Kapoor will feature from the first film, while John Abraham is the new entrant. On the other hand, we have Deepika Padukone, Jacqueline Fernandez and Ameesha Patel, with Bipasha Basu in a cameo role,” informs Kumar Taurani of Tips. There’s been a lot of rumours about Priyanka Chopra replacing Deepika in the film but Kumar rubbishes it all. “Not for once did we consider replacing Deepika with any other actor. Such news has no basis and is only generated to create obstacles and misunderstandings. All the actors have committed to the dates required to complete the slick action thriller,” he states.

Race, which was also directed by Abbas-Mustan, saw Akshaye Khanna and Katrina Kaif’s characters die, so there was no way they could be recast. This one promises to be an extension of the older story in spirit but with a fresh and more challenging approach. “Bipasha will be seen in a special role primarily because the story continues from Race,” says Kumar. Ironically, this makes it the first film to star estranged lovers John and Bipasha for the first time, post break-up. “Of course, that’s not the USP of Race 2. Bipasha will only be present for a brief period of time while John is an integral part of the plot. And the last thing we would want to do is cash in on anyone’s personal lives,” quips Kumar.

Literally a multi-star cast film, Race 2 is touted as being more thrilling than its previous counterpart. “There’s going to be a lot of action, good music and mind games. Moreover, it will be shot partly in India and partly abroad — so the locales too will be quite apt with the storyline. The least we can promise is two hours of the best in the business,’ he signs off.

- DNA India