Masand's Verdict: Race is a pacy thriller

WEEKEND THRILLS: In the movie Race, nothing is what it seems, and nobody can be trusted.

    

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26/11: Terror comes precariously close

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Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Akshaye Khanna, Anil Kapoor, Bipasha Basu, Katrina Kaif, Sameera Reddy

Direction: Abbas-Mastan

I don't know about you but it's been weeks since I last saw a good masala Hindi movie — the kind that requires you to suspend your disbelief and go along for the ride. Thankfully, Abbas-Mastan's Race which opens at cinemas this weekend, is exactly that kind of film, it's a pretty far-fetched thriller much in the tradition of their previous hits Khiladi and Baazigar, and yet it's exciting enough for you to stop looking for holes in the plot and to go with the flow instead.

Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna play Ranvir and Rajiv Singh, brothers who've inherited a stud farm in Durban. While the older one Ranvir is focused on saving the business from bankruptcy and an avid derby enthusiast, Rajiv is the aimless, alcoholic spoilt-little-rich-kid. What both men have in common, however is an evil streak which becomes more than apparent as the reels unspool.

Sacrificing his love, Ranvir hooks up his younger brother with his sweetheart Sonia (played by Bipasha Basu), hoping marriage will cure his chhota bhai of his drinking habit. Sadly, that never happens. In a moment of weakness, Ranvir and Sonia slip between the sheets, and that incident sets off a series of betrayals, double-crosses and murders.

Add to this mayhem, Ranvir's doting secretary Sophia (played by Katrina Kaif) who's nursing a secret crush on her boss, who in turn mistakes her affection for job efficiency. Then there's the fruit-chomping detective RD (Anil Kapoor), and his dim-witted assistant Mini (Sameera Reddy) who jump into the scene to investigate a mysterious death.