Haiwaan Movie Review: Priyadarshan’s Thriller Ft Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar Disappoints!
Haiwaan is directed by Priyadarshan, and stars Shriya Pilgaonkar as the female lead. Read here for more about it.
1.5 / 5
I was quite excited for a thrilling face-off between Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar, considering the trailer looked amazing. However, the Priyadarshan film, which is a remake of the Malayalam film Oppam, did not stand up to my expectations; instead, it turned out to be a rather tiring watch. The film also stars Boman Irani, Shriya Pilgaonkar, and Saiyami Kher in lead roles. The 2-hour 44-minute film has an odd screenplay with very little to admire. Read on.
Plot
Haiwaan’s story revolves around Akshay Kumar’s antagonist, Parshuram, and his revenge on people who did him wrong. Boman Irani plays the ex-Chief Justice Pradhan, who is also Parshuram’s target. Saif Ali Khan’s Shyam is a manager at the same building where Pradhan resides. A series of events leads to a cat-and-mouse chase between Shyam and Parshuram. Who wins and who loses is what makes the premise of Haiwaan.
Story, Screenplay
The film’s story is quite outdated. Haiwaan’s narrative is predictable but extremely boring and exhausting. The killer’s motive is established very early in the film; however, nothing is done to make us feel intimidated; instead, it becomes funny after a point. The first half of the film is spent giving us three songs, a scattered screenplay to build the narrative around Parshuram and an introduction to Saif Ali Khan’s character, who is a blind man, but all his other senses are very strong. Post-interval, the film dives into the cat-and-mouse chase, but what could have been the most interesting part of the film only boils down to something that we don’t care about by the end of the runtime.
There are random cuts in the film, and for a while, I wondered if I dozed off and missed a scene. There are too many hand-to-hand combats between Shyam and Parshuram, but it would have been appreciated if the film tried something new to make this chase a little engaging and keep you on the edge. The climax is another disappointing aspect of the film.
There is hardly anything for the female characters in the plot; in fact, it looks forced into the narrative with no impact of their presence whatsoever.
Performances
Saif Ali Khan acts well, but on many occasions, his personality overshadows the character. However, he was still the best part for me in the film. Akshay Kumar tries to bring a strong presence to his character, but the writing fails to stand out. Other actors have done a decent job in delivering what the script demanded. But nothing stands out in the film.
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Verdict
Priyadarshan’s Haiwaan is not a fun watch at the movies. It’s a stretched and exhausting watch. The story and screenplay are the biggest disappointments, with a melodramatic BGM occasionally adding to the annoyance. The performances also could not save this sinking ship.
First Published: September 12, 2026 9:32 PM
