Haiwaan is a 2026 crime thriller film co-written and directed by Priyadarshan. Produced by KVN Productions and Thespian Films, it is a remake of Priyadarshan’s own 2016 Malayalam film Oppam. It marks the final film appearance of Asrani, who passed away in October 2025. The film was released theatrically on 11 September 2026.
Star Cast:
Akshay Kumar as Parshuram Gokhale
Saif Ali Khan as Shyam Rane
Boman Irani as Judge Pradhan
Shriya Pilgaonkar as Naina
Saiyami Kher as Inspector Varsha Joshi
Rajpal Yadav as Chandu, an auto driver
Sharib Hashmi as SI Sanjay Shinde
Rajesh Sharma as SP Rohit Vardhan
Manoj Joshi as Pandurang
Pahal Chaudhary as Nandini
Late Asrani as Hussein
Naira Shah as Simran
Zeeshan Ali as Joy
Suchitra Pillai as Principal Catherine
Mohanlal as Ram Jayaraman in cameo appearance
MOVIE REVIEW: Haiwaan is a stretched, predictable and largely underwhelming remake that turns an effective thriller into a tiring experience. Priyadarshan is capable of so much better. Haiwaan is the kind of remake that makes you question why Bollywood continues to revisit films that already worked perfectly in their original form. The film has a workable premise, a capable cast and an experienced director, but the weak and disjointed screenplay, predictable twists, poor pacing, unnecessary subplots, forgettable songs, forced humour and underwhelming climax severely limit its impact.
The biggest problem with Haiwaan is not that the basic story doesn’t work. The story is there. The ingredients for an engaging thriller are also there. But the execution is surprisingly weak, the screenplay is stretched beyond its natural length, and the suspense that should have been the film’s biggest strength turns out to be its weakest link. The twists are predictable, and once you figure out where the story is heading, there isn’t enough tension or unpredictability to keep you genuinely invested.
The film takes considerable time getting to the point. At 2 hours and 45 minutes, Haiwaan feels at least 30 minutes longer than it needs to be. The pacing is a major problem right from the beginning. By the time the actual thriller elements begin to take shape, the audience has already spent a considerable amount of patience waiting for the film to get moving. Several tracks feel like they have been inserted simply to increase the runtime rather than strengthen the main narrative.
Priyadarshan is a filmmaker who has given us so many memorable films across languages and genres. Unfortunately, Haiwaan doesn’t represent Priyadarshan at his best. For a director of Priyadarshan’s calibre, this easily ranks among his weaker outings. The film features three songs, but unfortunately, none of them leave much of an impression. Considering the already long runtime, the songs feel like another factor contributing to the film’s pacing issues.
Saif Ali Khan is decent in the lead role and carries much of the film reasonably well. He puts in a sincere performance despite being let down by the screenplay. Akshay Kumar, despite the promotional emphasis around his presence, has limited screen time and delivers an average performance. Boman Irani is dependable as always. Sharib Hashmi presence provides some much-needed energy whenever the film starts losing momentum. The late Asrani’s final appearance is one of the more enjoyable aspects of the film. Saiyami Kher has a supporting role that unfortunately doesn’t provide her with much scope. Rajesh Sharma, Shriya Pilgaonkar & Pahal Chaudhary do well in their respective parts. Rajpal Yadav and Manoj Joshi are largely wasted.
Haiwaan Movie Rating:
Direction 2/5
Acting 2.5/5
Music 1.5/5
Story 2.5/5
Screenplay 1.5/5
Overall Hit ya Flop Rating: 2 out of 5 Stars (Below Average)
Not Recommended 👎🏻
If you have watched Malayalam’s Oppam, there is no reason to sit through this unnecessarily stretched adaptation.
