An Epic Race: Race 2

I am surprised. I am awed. I am impressed. I consider myself blessed; blessed to be born in the era of mind blowing epic-writers time has ever seen. There was sage Valmiki in Treta Yug and sage Ved Vyas in Dwapar Yug. My yug i.e. Kali Yug has the sage duo – the men in white: Abbas-Mustan.

Every artist has this one work of art that he is always remembered for. Whatever maybe the extent of his competitors’ imagination and effort, his work stands class apart lighting the path of unlimited wisdom for the generations to follow. They have done it. Yes! The sage duo has done it. They have done it finally in their second attempt. They have done it through Race 2.

For those unlucky few who have never cared to bother about the sage-duo; Abbas-Mustan made the super-hit movie how-to-win-by-losing (Baazigar), how-to-woo-your-ex-bf-cum-present-employee for ladies a.k.a Aitraaz, how-to-fool-your-audience a.k.a. Naqaab and many more. Over the years they have made everything deemed impossible possible through their imagination. Flying cars and lying confidants, ravishing female CEOs and pre-imagination of lies by the supposed victims, nothing has escaped their imagination. In fact, they have even dared to show Saif Ali Khan as the protagonist of action-thrillers. Twice.

Race 2 is not like any ordinary action movie with a story that revolves around superb planners dying to mint money with cunning. Of course, it has all this but in a way never seen before which makes it nothing but a magnum opus. Have you ever spoken a lie to somebody keeping in mind what if he/she figures out the truth? Have you thought of possible excuses you will make to that ‘somebody’ if you get caught? Have you worked out strategies to back yourself up on every possible consequence of that somebody’s reaction? And if there are any people involved in this lie, have you made each one leak-proof (to the truth, of course)? Do you know each person’s weaknesses to their exact degrees to manipulate them later? And by the way, have you ever thought of lying to ‘somebody’ first and then yourself arranged for truth to be told to that ‘somebody’ which is nothing but a part of your grand ulterior strategy? If your answer to any of these is “No” then the duo - Abbas Mustan deserve your kowtow!

The movie talks about rapacious billionaires, babes, inspectors and blondes strategizing and exploiting secrets, desires and lusts of other billionaires, babes, inspectors and blondes in order to make more money, property, women and priceless possessions of religious significance. (You found the sentence complex? Well, watch the movie!!) Saif first cheats John’s business partner to help John win his casinos and thus earning John’s trust lays down a plan to destroy him. Anil Kapoor and his dumbly-desperate / desperately-dumb secretary Amisha Patel help Saif in this plan. John, who is a billionaire but idiot enough to miss watching Race (original), of course does not know that only Saif wins in all Race movies and that Anil sides with Nawaab in the end. He, with the backing of his step—sister, Deepika, his heartthrob, Jacqueline and his 'trusted' friend Anil, is confident to double-cross him. What he is unaware of is that Deepika has still not been able to overcome her Cocktail feelings for the Nawaab and will ultimately prove fatal in this plan, not unlike Anil. The movie is essentially about the events that follow in which GDPs of random countries within the European Union keep fluctuating.

This is what Aditya Pancholi looks like.

The movie has some surprising elements: twists, human-touch-sensor playing cards, parachute enabled cars and underworld dons who look like Aditya Pancholi. This man is the ultimate winner of Race 2. After risking some 15 billion Euros and a series of events he gets everything back with some interest. Huge interest, one should say. If you are a man and have watched the movie you will understand what it is. This climax is what makes Race 2 an epic. How?

Imagine, after the game of dice in the Mahabharata, Draupadi realizes that her husband is bankrupt and so leaves him to accompany Duryodhan; with a broad accomplished smile on her face. It doesn’t happen in the Mahabharata. It happens in Race 2.