Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan reunite in Priyadarshan’s dark thriller, Haiwaan, where the former portrays a psychopathic villain and the latter a visually impaired hero.
IMAGE: Akshay Kumar in Haiwaan.
Key Points
- Haiwaan is a dark thriller and a faithful remake of Priyadarshan’s 2016 Malayalam hit Oppam, which starred Mohanlal.
- The trailer for Haiwaan highlights Akshay Kumar’s menacing performance and the intense cat-and-mouse game with Saif Ali Khan’s character.
Haiwaan marks Director Priyadarshan and Akshay Kumar’s second collaboration of 2026, fresh off their hit horror-comedy Bhooth Bangla.
If Akshay tangled with spooks and demons in that film, he is embracing pure evil in Haiwaan, playing a psychopathic vengeance addict in this dark thriller.
Saif Ali Khan, Akshay’s frequent ’90s co-star from Yeh Dillagi, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, and Tashan, steps up as the hero.
For the first time ever, Saif is being directed by Priyadarshan, though the film will hardly tap into the actor’s famous comic charm, thanks to its intensely dark and brooding nature.
A Faithful Remake
IMAGE: Akshay Kumar in Haiwaan.
Haiwaan is a remake of Priyadarshan’s 2016 Malayalam hit Oppam, which featured Mohanlal in the lead.
Mohanlal played a blind man forced to protect a young girl from a ruthless psychopath, a killer so obsessed with his target that he slaughters anyone who gets in his way.
Tamil actor Samuthirakani delivered a chilling performance in that villainous role in the original.
The trailer for Haiwaan, unveiled on August 25, confirms the film will be a faithful retelling of Oppam, with Saif playing the visually impaired caretaker and Akshay stepping into the psychopath’s shoes.
WATCH: Haiwaan Trailer
The promo is notably dark, heavily focusing on the sheer menace oozing from Akshay’s character, fully equipped with an evil laugh and a rapidly growing pile of bodies to dispose of.
There is even a dramatic line where Saif asks, ‘Apne badle ki aag mein kitne aur masoomon ki jaan loge tum?‘
We get thrilling glimpses of the deadly cat-and-mouse game between this murderous stalker and Saif’s visually impaired guardian, who must protect the innocent young girl at all costs.
Given Akshay’s notorious penchant for stealing the show from his co-stars, here is hoping Saif manages to hold his ground with an equally solid performance.
The Cast and Crew
IMAGE: Saif Ali Khan and Shriya Pilgaonkar in Haiwaan.
The supporting cast features Boman Irani stepping into the ill-fated judge role originally played by the late Nedumudi Venu. Saiyami Kher plays a helpful cop, essayed by Anusree in Oppam, while Rajesh Sharma takes on the role of a biased police officer determined to pin the villain’s crimes on Saif’s character. Chemban Vinod played that role in the Malayalam film.
Rajpal Yadav, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Sharib Hashmi, Pahal Chaudhary and Manoj Joshi round out the ensemble.
The music is scored by Pritam, while Priyadarshan’s son Siddharth is overseeing the visual effects. Abilash Nair is credited as the co-director as well as penning the screenplay with Priyadarshan and Rohan Shankar.
The trailer is undeniably arresting purely for that unconventional deadly match between its two principal characters.
If you have not seen Oppam, the premise alone demands your attention, leaving you genuinely intrigued to see how a visually impaired hero can survive against a depraved, bloodthirsty killer willing to go to any lengths to murder a child. Particularly since that killer is played by Akshay Kumar.
PS: Bobby Deol was initially approached for the same role before Akshay took over.
Haiwaan releases in theatres on September 11.
This web site may embed third-party content from YouTube/Instagram/social media for news and informational purposes under fair use provisions for reporting. All rights remain with the original creators. We do not host or own such content. Any concerns may be reported to us for review and removal in good faith.
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
