Sriram Raghavan reveals Saif Ali Khan wanted Vijay Sethupathi’s part in Merry Christmas: ‘He was a little upset’

Sriram Raghavan revealed that he wanted a fresh pair for Merry Christmas, and had to say no to Saif Ali Khan for Vijay Sethupathi’s role opposite Katrina Kaif.

The unusual pairing of Katrina Kaif and Vijay Sethupathi in Merry Christmas has been the talk of the town. In a new interview with Pinkvilla, director Sriram Raghavan revealed that there was another actor who had shown interest in the part before Vijay came on board. That actor was Saif Ali Khan, with whom Sriram has worked earlier in Ek Hasina Thi (2004) and Agent Vinod (2012).

Sriram said, “I wanted a very unique kind of a pairing because that’s the story’s requirement. One should not get any baggage from either of them. So I had met another actor who had liked the role also, but then I told him sorry.”

15 years of Race | Saif Ali Khan | Katrina Kaif | Bipasha | Akshaye Khanna | Sameera | Anil Kapoor

Bipasha Basu on 14 years of ‘Race’: I loved working with Saif on this film, his energy is infectious

Bipasha Basu’s glamorous and stunning performance of a femme fatale in ‘Race’ (2008) was an instant hit with the audience. As the film clocks 14 years of release today, Bipasha reminisced about her time on the sets of the fast paced thriller.

Speaking about her camaraderie with co-stars Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Katrina Kaif and Anil Kapoor, Bipasha stated, “I loved working with Saif on this particular film. He is tremendous fun, his energy is infectious, he’s funny and vibrant! Akshaye Khanna again is wonderful. I have worked with him before too and he’s an amazing person to work with. He’s extremely talented. Katrina did really well in the film too. She looked very glamorous. Anil Kapoor is amazing too. Having such tremendously fun and talented actors, all of it translated really well. Our producer Ramesh Taurani was just amazing. Far away in South Africa, he used to make us pani puri and bhel for snacks! It was a very homely unit – we used to party together, eat together and go out together.” Bipasha Basu as Sonia, kept the audience engaged with shocking twists in the narrative.

Directed by Abbas-Mustan, ‘Race’ was turned into a franchise. Its second installment, featuring Saif, John Abraham, Deepika Padukone and Jacqueline Fernandez, released in 2013, while the third part was directed by Remo D’Souza and was headlined by Salman Khan.

Saif Ali Khan on 14 years of Race: Ranvir was an opportunity to show a more mature side

Race, along with Vishal Bharadwaj’s Omkara, is credited for showcasing a different side to Saif Ali Khan, who had before them featured in a series of romantic dramas and comedies like Ta Ra Rum Pum, Salaam Namaste and Parineeta.

Saif Ali Khan’s long standing career is replete with achievements but one success that’s quite special to him is the 2008 film Race, as he says that he felt ‘grown up’ as an actor after playing a string of “chocolate boy” characters.

Race opened to acclaim upon its release on March 21 and went on to become one of the biggest hits of the year. The film, fronted by Khan, also featured Anil Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Akshaye Khanna, Bipasha Basu and Sameera Reddy.

Race — which later turned into a franchise with two more installments released in 2013 and 2018 — chronicled the story of two half brothers, played by Khan and Khanna, caught in a web of lies, deceit and greed.

Khwab Dekhe is one of Saif Ali Khan’s best numbers: Bosco Martis

Recently, one of the contestants of Dance India Dance performed on the hit song Khwab Dekhe (Race), which is originally choreographed by Bosco Martis. The ace dance director, who is also judging the show got a bit nostalgic and shared a sweet anecdote about Saif Ali Khan on whom the song is picturised. He recalled that the Nawab of Pataudi requested that he wanted to rehearse for the entire day so that he could do a good job the next day. “I did not shoot with him that day. Next day, he arrived at 7 am and by 8.30 am we were rolling. I feel Khwab Dekhe is one of the best numbers that Saif has done and one must just watch him once to perform to it.”

A decade of Saif Ali Khan’s Race: 5 reasons why the Abbas-Mustan film still thrills

Director duo Abbas and Mustan are known for their thrillers, usually with an element of suspense. Race (2008) became something of a turning point in the career of the brothers. Not just because the film became a hit — they had delivered many hits already — but also because they raised the bar for crafting and narrating an Abbas-Mustan thriller. From here on, they have maintained the style.

The film starring Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Bipasha Basu, Anil Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Sameera Reddy was released exactly 10 years ago on 21 March 2008 (how time flies).

On the tenth anniversary of Race, we bring you five reasons why the film worked at the box office and is still fondly remembered.

Saif Ali Khan And Karan Johar To Host The International Indian Film Academy Awards

Saif Ali Khan will be co-hosting the 18th edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards along with filmmaker Karan Johar in New York on July 15

Actor Saif Ali Khan is all set to co-host the 18th edition of the International Indian Film Academy Awards along with filmmaker Karan Johar in New York on July 15. In a statement to the media, the 46-year-old actor said that they have a ‘lot of surprises’ in store for their fans: “I am happy to be back to the IIFA stage this year as I join my close friend Karan Johar to host the IIFA Awards in New York. The excitement for IIFA has been steadily growing worldwide. This year it’s going to be super fun and glamorous in every way as Karan and I are going to have lots of surprises in store for our fans internationally!,” said Saif Ali Khan.