Speculation about a possible return for Akshaye Khanna in the long-running Race franchise has been addressed by producer Ramesh Taurani, who clarified that the actor has not been approached for Race 4 and there are no plans to bring him back into the series. The comment comes amid heightened attention on Khanna’s career following the commercial and critical success of Dhurandhar.

Ramesh Taurani clarifies Akshaye Khanna won’t return for Race 4: “The work on the script is on”

The Race series, which began in 2008, has become best known for its high-adrenaline action, twists and star ensembles. Khanna played the antagonist in the original film but his character’s arc ended with an on-screen accident, a plot point Taurani cited as a key reason why the makers are not considering his return.

“No, we have not approached Akshaye. There was no scope at all,” the producer told HT City when asked about Khanna’s involvement in the upcoming fourth instalment. “His character gets into an accident in the first movie, his track ended there, and it will remain at that.”

Taurani also dispelled speculation around other casting rumours, including reports linking Saif Ali Khan or Sidharth Malhotra to the project. “No cast has been finalised till now. The work on the script is on,” he said, underlining that Race 4 remains in the early stages of development.

Having said that, it is worth mentioning here that in September 2024, writer Shiraz Ahmed, in an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama, revealed that Race 4 will continue the story from Race 1 and 2. Multiple publications are constantly sharing updates on Race 4. Last year, a report by Filmfare stated that Harshvardhan Rane is in discussions to play the antagonist in the high-octane thriller. However, nothing has been officially announced, as of now.

Also Read:Sidharth Malhotra in advanced talks to join Saif Ali Khan in Race 4; filming to begin in first half of 2025: Report