One of the best thrillers in Bollywood cinema in the last few years was the movie ‘Race’. The film, with its infinite plot twists, became an instant hit and the makers decided to make it a franchise with ‘Race 2’ in 2013. Now, the third instalment of the ‘Race’ franchise is also underway and it has a whole new ensemble cast with an exception or two.

‘Race 3’ promises to be slicker and grander than its predecessors and here are a few interesting facts on the upcoming film starring Salman Khan.

‘Race’ has been the brainchild of director duo Abbas Mastaan till now. However, ‘Race 3’ will see director and choreographer Remo D’Souza taking over the reins in what will be his fifth directorial venture. The team is going ahead with the hope of breathing new life into the series. Interestingly the story and screenplay writer Shiraz Ahmed, who wrote both ‘Race’ and ‘Race 2’ has been retained for the third instalment as well, so, one can expect a good story with new twists.

Even though all characters in the ‘Race’ franchise have been rather grey, they have also had clear-cut bad guys like Akshaye Khanna and John Abraham. Now, it looks like Salman Khan will be taking on the mantle from them in ‘Race 3’. The superstar is expected to have a slick and chiselled look for the film and in order to achieve that the actor has apparently shed eight kilos. Salman reportedly achieved this lean and mean look by following a special diet and fitness regimen. Overall, his fans will be looking forward to seeing him in his new avatar. Even though all characters in the ‘Race’ franchise have been rather grey, they have also had clear-cut bad guys like Akshaye Khanna and John Abraham. Now, it looks like Salman Khan will be taking on the mantle from them in ‘Race 3’. The superstar is expected to have a slick and chiselled look for the film and in order to achieve that the actor has apparently shed eight kilos. Salman reportedly achieved this lean and mean look by following a special diet and fitness regimen. Overall, his fans will be looking forward to seeing him in his new avatar.

It looks like fitness is on the mind of every actor cast in ‘Race 3’. Actor Bobby Deol, who is also making a comeback with the film, started trending on social media recently for all the right reasons. The actor got a new ripped and chiselled physique for the film and flaunted it for all to see. Of course, this transformation catapulted the excitement for the film to a whole new level. Turns out, Salman had a hand in this incredible transformation as Bobby thanked his co-star for motivating him.

One of the best parts of the ‘Race’ movies was veteran actor Anil Kapoor. He played the role of detective Robert D’Costa, the funny yet intelligent cop who provided comic relief in the films. Now, the actor has been retained for the third instalment as well, making him the only actor who is the part of all three films. It is also a special reunion for Salman and Anil who are working together after the comic caper ‘No Entry’.

acqueline Fernandez will undoubtedly be the oomph factor in ‘Race 3’. The actress has got all the right skills to set the screen on fire. Apparently, she is polishing her pole dancing skills for the movie. Jacqueline initially took up pole dancing for ‘A Gentleman’ but enjoyed it so much that she made it a part of her lifestyle. So expect a sizzling dance number from the gorgeous Sri Lankan beauty in the film.

Jacqueline may be eye candy, but that’s not all she is in the film. ‘Race 3’ is touted to be high on action and the actress will be smack dab in the middle of it. According to reports, Jacky has been undergoing Mixed Martial Arts or MMA training to prepare for the stunt sequences in the film. Other than pole dancing, the actress has also added this impressive new skill to her repertoire.

In the middle of January, panic struck the sets of ‘Race 3’ in the form a death threat to actor Salman Khan from a notorious gangster. It did stop the shoot of the film briefly, but they soon continued shooting for the title track with the whole cast amid heavy security. It is great to see that the actor is unfazed by these threats as Bollywood stars being held ransom by gangsters is nothing new after all.

After wrapping up the Mumbai schedule, Remo and ‘Race 3’ cast recently headed to Bangkok for the next leg of the shoot. It includes a sizzling number between the leads Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez that will reportedly be set on the beaches of Pattaya. Bobby Deol also shared a picture with co-stars Salman, Daisy Shah and producer Ramesh Taurani announcing the commencement of their shoot in Bangkok. The team is later expected to head to Abu Dhabi and UAE where Anil Kapoor is expected to join them.