Race 3 director Remo D'Souza on favourite action sequence that saw Salman Khan navigate falling tree in Bangkok jungle
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; June 13, 2018)

Makers of Race 3 have made it evident that leading man Salman Khan means no mischief when he says the film is going to involve high-octane action sequences. Fighting fit at 52, Khan will put his athletic best forward for the third instalment of the franchise, which is being helmed by Remo D'Souza.

Given that he is anchoring the sequences, Remo D'Souza would evidently put his heart into each scene, yet, the director tells mid-day that two of them particularly stand out for him. "While every stunt [we've performed] is dangerous, breathtaking and expensive, two of them are my favourites. The first is the climax scene, which involves hand-to-hand-combat, and the second is one we shot in Bangkok's Kanchanaburi jungles. It sees Salman riding a bike at high speed, only to navigate a falling tree," the director tells mid-day, adding that the scene was a tough one to pull off, given that it demanded precision and coordination.

The scene in question required the bike to slide downhill, as Salman Khan topples over to then execute a windmill [a dance move that sees the legs circled in air and the torso on the floor]. "Since the tree had to crash a few feet behind Salman, we took five days to synchronise it before the shoot. It was being held atop by crew members till Salman rode his bike beneath it. Since one cannot predict how fast a tree will fall, a lot depended on his timing," says D'Souza, further heaping praise on his leading man.

For producer Ramesh Taurani, being part of Race 3 implied having many a heart-in-mouth moments. "As producers, we constantly hope that the action sequences are shot smoothly, without mishaps. Anxiety looms until the shot is over because, despite taking safety measures, something untoward can happen. But the team rehearsed dedicatedly to pull it off." The sequences were designed by Hollywood stunt-coordinator Tom Struthers.

BOMBAY TIMES (June 5, 2018)

Like every year, this Eid too, will see superstar Salman Khan light up the box office. He’s all set to make a splash with the third installment of the Race franchise. The action entertainer features Salman along with Jacqueline Fernandez, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Saleem and Freddy Daruwala. Director Remo D’Souza is leaving no stone unturned to make Race 3 an action spectacle, with producers Ramesh Taurani and Salman Khan completely backing his vision. Here’s why it will be an action-packed entertainer...


ACTION ACROSS EXOTIC LOCATIONS
Race 3 has been shot across the globe, including Thailand, Abu Dhabi and Mumbai. Action-packed sequences have been shot in the jungles of Thailand in addition to the Liwa Dessert in Abu Dhabi, over a 35-day schedule. The movie has also been filmed at the Floating Market and Rose Garden in Bangkok as well as the jungles of Kanchanaburi province. The high-on-action climax of the film was shot in Abu Dhabi with one of the biggest film shooting units ever. They shot scenes with the entire star cast in just five days. The climax shoot also received security from the Abu Dhabi Military, owing to the explosions on the set. The action sequences have been shot under the guidance of Tom Struthers, who has choreographed stunts for Hollywood movies like Inception (2010), The Dark Knight (2008) and X-Men: First Class (2011). The film also features action choreography by Anal Arasu, which includes kickboxing as well as hand-to-hand combat.


REAL ACTION
The action of Race 3 will witness a mix of gritty combat scenes combined with stylish action, involving a lot of weapons. Super cars will add to the thrill of the film, which revolves around the members of a family turning into one another’s foes.

Every actor in the movie has performed his/her own stunts, no body doubles were used in the action sequences. Weeks before the film’s shoot began, the actors attended gruelling sessions to prep. While Jacqueline Fernandez trained in Mixed Martial Arts, Daisy Shah worked on her flexibility and agility. Bobby Deol worked hard for a bulked-up avatar, while Saqib Saleem trained to perform raw and gritty action. Anil Kapoor trained extensively with weapons for his action scenes, too. Remo D’Souza opted for real stunts over VFX and CGI to give his film an authentic feel.

SUPER CARS
Race 3 will showcase as many as 60 super cars comprising of some of the world’s leading luxury car manufacturers. Brand new cars were blown up in pieces during the shoot of the action sequences. Not just super cars, the film was also shot on the Formula 1 race track.

AN EXPLOSIVE ENTRY FOR SALMAN
The film will feature a larger-than-life action sequence for Salman Khan, especially designed and executed by Remo, who is a self-confessed fan of the superstar.

Race 3’s trailer launched exactly a month before the film’s release and has already grabbed the audience’s attention, with the songs Heeriye, Selfish and Allah Duhai Hai, scaling up the charts. The movie slated to release on June 15, 2018.

Even before their first collaboration Race 3 hits the marquee, Salman Khan is on-board another project by the choreographer-turned-filmmaker, which will precede the Kick sequel
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 1, 2018)

Even before his upcoming action-franchise, Race 3, hits screens this Eid, Salman Khan is gearing up for his next with choreographer-turned-filmmaker Remo D’souza. Mirror has learnt that the duo will roll with a “full-fledged dancing film” after the actor wraps up Ali Abbas Zafar’s Bharat and Prabhu Dheva’s Dabbang 3, which will be shot simultaneously.

While rumours are rife that Remo’s dance-drama, which was earlier titled Dancing Dad and revolved around a father-daughter relationship, has been shelved, Salman informs Mirror that he has signed up to play the leading man in the film. “Remo and I were supposed to do another dance film last year but, unlike what he’d like to believe, everybody can’t dance, and I messed up my shoulder while training for the sequences. So that film was put on hold. Then, Race 3 came along. Now, this dance film is happening, and I will be training extensively for it,” says Salman.

On Wednesday, the 52-year-old actor was shooting for a brand with his Race 3 co-stars Saqib Saleem and Bobby Deol at Mehboob Studio, when Mirror caught up with him. “I take off on the Da-Bangg Reloaded world tour next month-end, then there’s Bharat and Dabbang. Since the script of Kick 2 isn’t ready yet, I’ll start Remo’s film first,” he points out, adding that his Race 3 co-stars Jacqueline Fernandez and Daisy Shah were the first ones to come on-board this new film and that shooting commences next year.

Meanwhile, Race 3 marks Salman’s debut as a lyricist and worldwide distributor, and he is seemingly pleased with the end-product. “Jacqueline and Daisy dance well,” he raves, adding, “Remo has taken everyone’s dance skills to a higher level. There’s Jacqueline’s pole-dancing and Daisy’s aerial act, which she filmed in Ladakh. While people were fainting due to low air pressure and biting cold, she was performing acrobatics. A lot of hard-work went into this film and I want everyone to benefit from its release. You will be blown away by Jackie and Daisy’s fight scene as well. It’s crisply shot.”

The actor, who plays the protagonist Sikander in the Ramesh Taurani production, reveals that the ensemble cast, which also includes franchise regular Anil Kapoor, and new entrants Bobby Deol, Saqib Salim, underwent extensive training. “There are three-four rehearsals before each sequence. With Race 3, there were super cars, bikes and choppers exploding. We were shooting in Abu Dhabi and our action director (Tom Struthers) ensured that we didn’t get even one car back. They were all blown up in as many as 200 parts,” he informs, clarifying that even the stunt-doubles on the sets were insured. “Safety is most important,” he says, quipping, “Even then, Daisy managed to fracture her leg.”

Between the upcoming musical tour and three backto- back films, Salman is also trying to squeeze in a Nepal tour, which has been cancelled twice since last year. “It has been delayed since the Nepal Government changed and we had to rework our plan. The team wanted to go there this week, but it was too close to Race 3’s release. We’re working on it and will visit soon,” he says, recalling that he had filmed in the picturesque country in the late ’90s for his drama, Buland, that never saw the light of day. But he admits that he is eager to go back and interact with the locals.

Charity begins at the movies
Salman Khan has decided to slash the marketing budget of Race 3 by 40 per cent, suggesting that the actors “do some good” with the money. “We waste so much on promoting films, so I suggested that we reduce it and start a movement instead. Our girls — Jackie and Daisy — are visiting NGOs of their choice to make a difference,” Salman says. According to the actor, producer Ramesh Taurani was immediately on-board the idea, but Remo had reservations — What if people assume it to be a promotional gimmick? “If that’s what people think, so be it. In fact, I dare others to do the same during their film’s release,” Salman says.

DNA (May 29, 2018)

For their upcoming film, Race 3, the makers have used some of the fastest cars in the world for their action and chase sequences, which have been shot extensively in Abu Dhabi. Talking about the assortment of supercars, director Remo D’souza shares, “As a kid I used to put up pictures of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Aston Martin on the walls of my house and I have used the real version of each and every car that was put up on my wall, in this movie.”

The stunts have been designed by Hollywood action director Tom Struthers. At the trailer launch, Salman Khan had said that they picked up 15-16 brand new cars while shooting in Abu Dhabi thinking they would get them back, but the action director ensured they don’t get even one car back. “The cars were blown up in 200 parts, which made it impossible to bring the cars back,” he added.

Jacqueline Fernandez, who returns to the third installment and is also known to be a Formula 1 junkie, shared her excitement on shooting on the ‘real race tracks’, “One of the locations we have shot at is the ‘Formula 1’ track,” she enthuses.

Hiren Kotwani (DNA; April 4, 2018)

Cinema caters to multiple tastes just like specialised cuisine does. And the churn is constant — romance follows comedy, which, in turn, is followed by action. However, the latter remains one of the most-favoured genres because the adrenaline rush that it provides is unmatched. At the end of the day, who doesn’t enjoy watching a good dose of maar-dhaad on the big screen? Perhaps, that’s the reason Baaghi 2, which was given a thumbs down by critics, found favour with the nation.

Tiger Shroff’s stuntbaazi is a voyeur’s delight and filmmaker Sajid Nadiadwala, who backed this project, is laughing all the way to the bank. Incidentally, Aditya Chopra’s Tiger Zinda Hai (TZH), which had Salman Khan in the lead, also raked in mammoth numbers last December. Veteran trade expert and film distributor Amod Mehra observes, “This genre can never die as it has a set audience that doesn’t need logic and reasoning in such movies. Throughout the world, the biggest grossers have always been flicks that give you an adrenaline rush.” Even though the industry’s biggest action heroes, Akshay Kumar (the original Khiladi) and Ajay Devgn, have changed tracks to explore realistic subjects, the genre itself is a hero and finds its faithfuls. Such is its draw that actors like Salman, who have understood this, ensure that they enthrall viewers.

Currently, the superstar’s closest relationship is with Hollywood action choreographer, Tom Struthers, who gave him the best stunts in Tiger Zinda Hai (TZH) and is likely to repeat the magic in Race 3. Even a filmmaker like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is known for helming opulent but softer films, never compromises on combat scenes. Be it Bajirao Mastani or Padmaavat, the war sequences were designed with finesse and had a certain fiery quality.

Distributor Sanjay Ghai adds, “People enjoy the larger-than-life action. When they see the hero beating up the bad guys on screen, they applaud and whistle for him and even say in their minds, ‘Isko aur maar.’ That’s because every man has pent up anger within him. In real life, we can unleash our rage by just giving the other person a few slaps. So, when we see the hero bash up the baddies in various ways on celluloid, naturally, we root for him.” However, he is quick to add that the genre by itself doesn’t guarantee success. “Along with action, the film has to have a strong emotion for audiences to connect with. Unless the subject resonates with viewers, it won’t work.”

Reiterating that this category is here to stay, Amod says that the film industry depends largely on it. “When filmmakers get action directors from abroad, they know they have to deliver; with something that is new and larger than life. In India, action enhances a film’s commercial prospects,” he says.

While credit also goes to the presence of super-hero power wielded by the likes of Salman Khan (Ek Tha Tiger, Sultan and TZH), and Aamir Khan (Dhoom 3 and Dangal), who delivered box-office numbers in the genre, one can’t discount the action in movies either.

Tiger, who has proved his skills in thrills and dancing, doesn’t shy away from stating his priorities. In a recent interview, he told After Hrs, “If a director has an action and dance movie in mind, I want to be the first choice. I work with that mentality. I’m playing to my strengths and looking for a strong storyline that allows me to decorate the film with my talent.”

BIGGEST ACTION HITS

Tiger Zinda Hai - 2017

Sultan - 2016

Dangal - 2016

Kick - 2014

Singham Returns - 2014

Dhoom 3 - 2013

Chennai Express - 2013

Krissh 3 - 2013

Ek Tha Tiger - 2012

Rowdy Rathore - 2012

Dabangg - 2010

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; March 15, 2018)

Salman Khan’s last film Tiger Zinda Hai saw him working with Hollywood action co-ordinator Tom Struthers. Their collaboration resulted in some fantastic action sequences. The superstar was all praise for the action director and his work. In an interview with After Hrs, he had said, “The way Tom has designed the stunts is unbelievable. His expertise has definitely taken our film’s standard on par with Hollywood.”

It is known that when Bhai likes someone’s work, he wants to work with them again — whether it’s his heroines, directors, or even technicians. This time, Salman has reunited with Tom for Race 3. Says a source, “Tom has been roped in to choreograph the stunt sequences for the action-packed climax of the Remo D’Souza directorial. The team is currently camping in Abu Dhabi and will shoot the high-octane scenes over the next month-and-a-half.”

Tom, who has worked on several films with Christopher Nolan, like The Dark Knight Rises and Inception, along with Indian fight master Anal Arasu, is currently planning the film’s climax. Our source adds, “Remo has been working in consultation with both of them. The trio (Remo, Tom and Anal) has been discussing ideas and putting the choreography for the action scenes in place for the last three months. They even reached Abu Dhabi much before others to make sure everything is in place and there’s no delay.” This will be the team’s last schedule, after which the film will enter the post-production stage. It’s slated to release on Eid this year.

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; November 3, 2017)

The last time we spoke to Salman Khan, he had told us, “The action sequences in Tiger Zinda Hai are mindblowing. They are plenty in number and are designed to match Hollywood standards.” We took his word for it and true to our promise, we give our readers an exclusive sneak peek of Tiger and his army!

The lavish action-drama promises to deliver world-class fights and thrills that have never been seen before in a Bollywood film. Tom Struthers, the main man behind the action of The Dark Knight series, was roped in to design the jaw-dropping scenes.

The team camped in Abu Dhabi and had two elaborate schedules in the country, filming some of the most adrenaline-pumping action. Our source says, “This schedule featured choppers, jets, army vehicles, and heavy artillery from the Emirates’ army.” Director Ali Abbas Zafar said, “Tom is a master of high-octane action. His brief was to create action that is both larger-than-life and yet, realistic. He has delivered sequences that will stay with audiences for a long time.”

Struthers further explained, “We’ve had to create a lot of explosions for the film. We’ve blown up 15 vehicles, of which four were moving vehicles. One of them was a 40-tonne truck that made a lot of noise when it blew up! What was difficult to make (the action sequences), actually feels beautiful to watch now.’’

Manish D Mishra (DNA; July 17, 2017)

All eyes are set on Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif starrer Tiger Zinda Hai. The film is being completed at a brisk pace for its December release. A larger-than-life spy drama that has travelled to many parts of the globe, the team now begins shooting in Morocco.

Edge-of-the-seat action
“This portion of the film will feature Salman and Katrina in a high-octane action and chase sequence,” says a source. Besides Salman and Katrina’s epochal pairing, the film elicits euphoria as it promises to be an adrenaline-pumping actioner.

Equestrian excitement
A chase sequence involves horses trained for on-screen action that have also been used in leading Hollywood films. “These trained stallions were part of Troy, The Mummy and Steven Spielberg’s War Horse. Action in Tiger Zinda Hai will be overlooked by leading Hollywood technicians, led by Tom Struthers, the action co-ordinator of movies like The Dark Knight,” adds the source.

Rigorous action training
Both the stars have trained and prepped a lot to shoot these difficult sequences. Director Ali Abbas Zafar says, “So far, we have captured some great action and stunt sequences with Salman and Katrina. Now, we will shoot high-octane sequences with both of them. And we look forward to some serious excitement on sets.”

With exotic locales and stellar star-cast leaving no stone unturned to ace their action game, one can easily picture this film’s action prowess to be at par with the best in the world.

DNA (May 4, 2017)

The third schedule of Tiger Zinda Hai, starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif is expected to roll in Abu Dhabi on a huge set.

One of the shooting locations is set at the Arkan cement factory in Al Ain. Says a source, “Around 150 local members of crew will be joining hands with the production team for the shoot. This location is notable as it also featured in portions of Fast and Furious 7.” However, the context and look of this set have been strictly kept under wraps.

The source added, “For these portions of the schedule, the action and stunt crew from the Dark Knight films, led by Tom Struthers as action director and his action choreographer Buster Reeves, will set up for a big, impressive action sequence. Tom along with TZH director Ali Abbas Zafar and their teams have looked at forms of action and Salman Khan is completely on board to train and prepare for these scenes. They intend to raise the bar close to international standards.”

Tiger Zinda Hai has already filmed extensively in Austria.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 9, 2017)

Five years after they faced the cameras together for Kabir Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif will take off for the picturesque city of Tyrol in Austria on March 15 to kick off the much-awaited second instalment and punch it out in sub-zero temperatures. The European country is the first of half-a-dozen international locations where the sleek spy thriller will be filmed.

The duo will start with a song sequence, followed by an action scene in the snow-capped mountains and the surrounding quaint hamlets. The two will be reprising their roles as Avinash Singh Rathore aka Tiger — an Indian RAW agent code-named as ‘Tiger’ and Zoya — a Pakistani ISI agent who falls in love with him.

Hollywood’s Tom Struthers, the award-winning action director of X Men: First Class and Christopher Nolan’s Inception, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises will be choreographing the stunts for the Ali Abbas Zafar directorial.

The actors will train under him and his crew.