Haiwaan is a 2-hour-44-minute Hindi remake of Priyadarshan’s 2016 Malayalam thriller Oppam. Saif Ali Khan plays visually impaired martial artist Shyam, while Akshay Kumar takes on the role of the dangerous killer Parshuram. Despite the unusual pairing and Priyadarshan’s experience, the film struggles with uneven writing, tonal confusion and a screenplay that repeatedly chooses convenience over genuine suspense.
Priyadarshan returns to his own Malayalam thriller with Haiwaan, hoping to recreate the tension of Oppam for a Hindi-speaking audience. On paper, the combination looks difficult to resist: Saif Ali Khan in a physically demanding role, Akshay Kumar as a darker antagonist, and the two stars returning to the screen together after 18 years.
Unfortunately, the film never fully capitalises on that potential.
Haiwaan has the ingredients of an engaging crime thriller, but the screenplay keeps throwing new developments at the audience without giving them enough time to settle into the characters or the central mystery.
Haiwaan Review: The Story Starts With Potential But Quickly Becomes Chaotic
The basic premise is strong.
Shyam, a visually impaired man, becomes entangled in a murder case involving retired judge Pradhan. After being wrongly implicated, he finds himself trying to protect Nandini, the judge’s hidden daughter, while Parshuram relentlessly hunts her down.
The story gives Saif an interesting physical and dramatic challenge. Shyam’s visual impairment is not simply a character detail; it directly shapes how he moves, fights and understands the world around him. Saif has spoken about the physical difficulty of performing the film’s action sequences in the role.
The problem is the screenplay surrounding him.
Instead of gradually building suspense, Haiwaan frequently jumps from one incident to another. The result is a narrative that feels rushed rather than gripping.
There are several moments when the film could have slowed down and developed its characters. Instead, it often chooses another twist, another chase or another convenient development.
That approach eventually makes the thriller feel exhausting rather than exciting.
The Akshay Kumar-Saif Ali Khan Reunion Does Not Deliver Enough
One of the biggest reasons Haiwaan generated curiosity was the reunion of Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan.
The actors last appeared together in Tashan in 2008, making Haiwaan their first major screen reunion in 18 years. The film also deliberately moves them away from the light-hearted chemistry associated with some of their earlier collaborations.
That change could have been fascinating.
Instead, their face-off is one of the film’s missed opportunities.
The two actors have enough screen presence to make their confrontation compelling, but the writing does not consistently give them scenes worthy of their stature. Some of the supposedly intense exchanges are presented with such tonal uncertainty that they can generate laughter instead of tension.
The film wants the audience to take its conflict seriously, but its own execution repeatedly undermines that seriousness.
Rajpal Yadav And Asrani Provide Some Much-Needed Relief
Rajpal Yadav and Asrani bring welcome energy to the film.
Their scenes provide some of the few moments where the proceedings feel lighter and more naturally entertaining. However, even these performances are restricted by the writing.
The comedy does not always land because the film struggles to establish a consistent tonal balance.
That becomes one of Haiwaan’s biggest problems. It wants to function simultaneously as a crime thriller, action film, emotional drama and occasional comedy.
None of those elements is given enough control over the overall experience.
Saif Ali Khan Tries To Hold The Film Together
Saif Ali Khan gets the more demanding dramatic assignment.
Playing a visually impaired character who is also capable of physical combat requires considerable control over movement and body language. The actor clearly commits to the role, particularly during the action portions.
The issue is not the effort.
The issue is that Shyam is surrounded by a screenplay that frequently makes his decisions feel dictated by plot requirements rather than character logic.
Saif therefore ends up fighting two battles: one against Parshuram within the story and another against the limitations of the script.
The performance has sincerity, but the material rarely allows it to develop into something memorable.
Akshay Kumar’s Villainous Turn Feels Misjudged
Akshay Kumar takes on a very different role as Parshuram, the film’s dangerous antagonist.
The concept is promising. Seeing Akshay step away from his familiar heroic image and play a psychologically unstable killer should have been one of Haiwaan’s major attractions.
But the performance often feels too mannered.
Instead of creating genuine menace, Akshay sometimes relies on exaggerated expressions, sudden laughs and heightened gestures. These choices appear designed to make Parshuram unpredictable, yet they occasionally have the opposite effect.
The character becomes less frightening and more distracting.
This is particularly damaging because the film needs Parshuram to feel like a constant threat. If the antagonist does not generate fear, the chase at the centre of the story loses much of its urgency.
Saiyami Kher, Shriya Pilgaonkar And Mohanlal Get Unevenly Used
Saiyami Kher plays Inspector Varsha Joshi, adding a police-investigation track to the central story. Shriya Pilgaonkar is also part of the film, including a romantic angle involving Saif’s character.
The romantic subplot, however, feels unnecessary within the larger thriller.
Rather than strengthening Shyam’s emotional journey, it often feels like an additional track competing for space in an already crowded screenplay.
Mohanlal’s appearance is another major talking point around the film. The Malayalam superstar, who played the lead in the original Oppam, returns for a brief appearance in the Hindi remake. Priyadarshan had earlier revealed that Mohanlal agreed to the cameo after hearing what was planned for the character.
For fans of the original, the cameo carries obvious significance.
But as a cinematic moment, it does not transform the overall experience.
Background Music Cannot Fix The Film’s Tonal Problems
The background score does try to maintain tension, particularly during the action and chase sequences.
However, the film’s soundtrack placement becomes another problem.
Songs appear at points where the narrative needs momentum, interrupting the thriller instead of complementing it. The repeated tonal shifts make it harder for the film to sustain suspense.
A thriller requires control over rhythm.
Haiwaan rarely finds that rhythm for long enough.
Haiwaan Review: The Malayalam Original Remains The Stronger Experience
The biggest challenge for Haiwaan is that it is not simply an original thriller being judged on its own terms.
It is a Hindi remake of Priyadarshan’s own Oppam, the 2016 Malayalam film led by Mohanlal. The new version therefore invites direct comparison with its source material.
The Hindi adaptation has a potentially strong central hook and two major Bollywood stars, but those advantages do not automatically translate into a better thriller.
Instead, Haiwaan feels like a film that had the right ingredients but could not decide how to combine them.
The result is uneven action, inconsistent comedy, underdeveloped emotional tracks and suspense that rarely reaches the level the premise promises.
Haiwaan Review: Verdict
Rating: 2/5
Haiwaan should have been an exciting reunion between Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, backed by Priyadarshan revisiting one of his own thrillers.
Instead, it becomes a frustratingly uneven experience.
Saif Ali Khan puts genuine effort into a challenging role, while Akshay Kumar attempts a darker performance that ultimately feels too exaggerated. Rajpal Yadav and Asrani provide occasional freshness, but the supporting performances cannot compensate for the screenplay’s weaknesses.
The biggest disappointment is the missed opportunity.
A visually impaired protagonist, a dangerous killer, a murder mystery and two major stars should have been enough to create a gripping theatrical thriller. Yet Haiwaan repeatedly chooses convenience over suspense and chaos over character development.
If you are expecting a tightly constructed thriller from the Akshay-Saif reunion, the film may leave you disappointed.
FAQ
Is Haiwaan worth watching?
Haiwaan may appeal to viewers interested in Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan’s reunion, but its uneven screenplay and inconsistent thriller elements make it a disappointing theatrical experience.
What is Haiwaan about?
Haiwaan follows Shyam, a visually impaired man who becomes responsible for protecting Nandini after the murder of her father, retired judge Pradhan. He is pursued by the dangerous killer Parshuram.
Is Haiwaan a remake of Oppam?
Yes. Haiwaan is the Hindi remake of Priyadarshan’s 2016 Malayalam thriller Oppam, which starred Mohanlal in the lead role.
Who plays the villain in Haiwaan?
Akshay Kumar plays Parshuram, the dangerous antagonist who pursues Nandini in the film. Saif Ali Khan plays Shyam, the visually impaired protagonist.
