On paper, Priyadarshan directing a Hindi thriller with Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, adapted from his own 2016 Malayalam hit Oppam, seemed like a reliable formula for success. The filmmaker knows the source material inside out, having helmed the original, while Akshay has previously collaborated with him. The prospect of seeing Akshay and Saif together was itself enough to generate curiosity. However, somewhere between the heavily tattooed antagonist and its 165-minute runtime, Haiwaan fails to deliver the straightforward thriller it could have been.
The movie begins with a man drowning another person in a river, immediately establishing him as the villain through his snake tattoo and threatening demeanour. The story then moves to a village, where we are introduced to Shyam Rane, played by Saif Ali Khan, a visually impaired man who took responsibility for his siblings following their father's early death. Shyam possesses an exceptional ability to detect sounds, smells and physical sensations. He works as a maintenance manager in a Mumbai high-rise, where both residents and employees depend heavily on him.
His life changes when Parshuram Gokhale, a man driven by revenge and marked by a violent past, enters the picture. Played by Akshay Kumar, the character has a carefully explained history. His family was destroyed after a false accusation, his father poisoned the entire household before taking his own life, and Parshuram later escaped from a psychiatric hospital with seemingly nothing left to lose. Shyam unintentionally becomes entangled in his path while attempting to protect the people around him.
The basic premise is strong, and Oppam already demonstrated that it can work effectively. The bigger question is what Haiwaan brings to the story that is new, and unfortunately, the answer is not very much.
One of the film's biggest shortcomings is its pacing. The screenplay takes too long to reach the central conflict. Three songs are included, but none are particularly memorable once the credits roll. A wedding celebration also introduces a dance sequence immediately before an important part of the story. By the time the thriller finally gets going, the audience has already been asked to wait for far too long.
Priyadarshan is well known for his comic timing, and there are occasional moments in Haiwaan where that strength comes through. Sharib Hashmi, playing inspector Sanjay Shinde, is particularly entertaining and delivers some of the film's most enjoyable scenes. However, the comedy does not blend naturally with the thriller. The jokes often appear at points where the tension should instead be building.
With a runtime of around two hours and 45 minutes, Haiwaan feels at least half an hour longer than necessary. The core story is sufficient for a good thriller, but the film takes an unnecessarily long route to tell it.
Saif Ali Khan performs well as Shyam, giving the character warmth and convincingly portraying his sense of responsibility towards his family and the respect he has earned among the residents of his building. His portrayal of Shyam as an individual works, although his transformation into a wrestler is less convincing. The actor does not completely capture the physicality required for the role. While this does not completely derail the film, it is noticeable, and the character could have benefited from a more earthy, rustic quality.
The biggest weakness, however, is the villain. Haiwaan needed an antagonist who was truly terrifying — someone whose presence alone could justify the entire story being built around stopping him. Akshay Kumar has successfully played negative roles before, but his version of Haiwaan does not feel sufficiently threatening.
Instead of creating genuine fear, the performance sometimes becomes excessively theatrical, occasionally producing unintended humour rather than a sense of danger. The final sequence, which should have represented the film's most intense stretch, consequently does not have the desired impact.
For an actor of Akshay Kumar's ability, and considering how seriously he appears to have approached the role, this is disappointing. The character needed to be more restrained, colder and more disturbing. Instead, the menace often feels overstated.
The supporting cast helps the film considerably. The late Asrani appears as security guard Hussain and delivers a charming performance that feels natural, warm and humorous. His appearance serves as a touching reminder of his long and memorable career. Boman Irani is reliable as usual, while Sharib Hashmi remains the film's most dependable source of entertainment, even though his character's casual use of police violence is hardly something to celebrate.
Shriya Pilgaonkar and Saiyami Kher, meanwhile, are given relatively little material despite their abilities, continuing a familiar problem in Indian thrillers where promising supporting characters are often underwritten.
Mohanlal, who played the lead in the original Oppam, also makes a brief appearance in the Hindi adaptation.
For viewers who have already watched Oppam, there is little in Haiwaan that is likely to come as a surprise, and the comparison does not particularly benefit the Hindi remake. Mohanlal's original is more compact, sharper and maintains tension more consistently. Those who have not seen Oppam may actually be better off watching that version first — or choosing it instead.
Haiwaan is not an outright bad film. It has a capable cast, a solid premise, occasional humour and a director who understands the source material extremely well. However, it needed a much tighter screenplay and a shorter runtime to become the gripping thriller it had the potential to be. Instead, audiences are left with an occasionally entertaining but ultimately underwhelming film.
