Race 3: How Katrina Kaif's loss became Jacqueline Fernandez's gain

There was a time when Jacqueline Fernandez saw Katrina Kaif as a kind of role model. Both being outsiders with no gyaan of the rashtra bhasha. A more critical commonality was Salman Khan. The affable Ms F, first landed the female lead opposite Salman in Kick. Then she landed the part of the superstar’s beloved other in Remo D’Souza’a dance film. But then the unexpected happened. Salman decided he was too old to play a dancing star. He decided to do another film with Remo — Race 3. Katrina was the first choice to play the female lead opposite Salman in Race 3. But then he can’t have two back-to-back releases with her. Tiger Zinda Hai releases this December. And so the plum role in Race 3, earmarked for Katrina, has now gone to Jackie.

Also, Salman felt morally obliged to compensate both, director Remo D’Souza and Jacqueline, after the dance film they were doing together was shut down. So, Salman cart-lifted the entire team to an alternative project, flood-relief style.