NEW DELHI : Priyadarshan is stuck in a loop that has convinced him that safe storytelling is the way to reach his milestone 100th film. In 2026, he had two releases. One was Bhooth Bangla in April, and the other, Haiwaan, has released today. The difference between them is that one was a watchable horror-comedy with originality, and the other is an almost frame-by-frame adaptation of his own film, Oppam. Priyadarshan has Mohanlal in Malayalam and Akshay Kumar in Hindi to successfully execute his storytelling vision. But when his reliable Bollywood favourites can’t rescue an outdated subject, it is Lalettan who comes to salvage it.
Haiwaan Story
Haiwaan has an interesting premise. Shot marvellously by Divakar Mani, the film attempts to give the audience a lived-in experience through the rich cinematography that celebrates each frame in its best glory. While Haiwaan is technically brilliant and refreshing, the story and narrative pattern feel stale. This applies irrespective of whether one has watched Oppam or is going in with a clean slate, looking at it as a standalone film.
Haiwaan Is Oppam’s Remake
Priyadarshan sticks loyally to Oppam’s story. Pradhan (Boman Irani) is a retired judge who, in the past, punished an innocent Parshuram Gokhale (Akshay Kumar) for a crime he never committed. His family, including his daughter, die by consuming poison to avoid public shame. Years later, he is out to seek revenge on those involved in punishing him. Judge Pradhan is among them. After all these years, Parshuram has turned into a violent ‘monster’, and Pradhan fears he will harm his daughter, Nandini (Pahal Ashok Choudhary), who is at a boarding school.
Shyam Rane (Saif Ali Khan) is visually impaired with a strong sense of smell and touch. He is a musician, wrestler and security manager in a residential building in Mumbai. His family has lost its dignity in their village. Shyam is Pradhan’s confidant. Only he knows the address of Nandini’s school and has kept her guarded all these years.
When the ‘haiwaan’ Parshuram’s menace takes over, it becomes Shyam’s responsibility to keep Nandini safe. After Pradhan is killed, he is next on the hit list, and so is Nandini. What follows next is a cat-and-mouse chase.
Where Does Haiwaan Fail?
Haiwaan begins on an interesting note. It shows promise to be a taut thriller. Priyadarshan makes a smart move by choosing Saif to play the part portrayed by Mohanlal in the Malayalam version and visualises Akshay as the antagonist. Sadly, the redundant story does nothing good for the actors. While the direction remains safe, the Hindi remake is longer than the Malayalam because of a few additions, including a proper ‘dialoguebaazi’ in a building’s garage.
Akshay Kumar in HaiwaanAkshay Kumar in Haiwaan
Remakes can be fun to watch if the audience is served something new. Oppam was set in Kerala at a time when the state was technologically less equipped. The loopholes in Haiwaan are evident and silly. In this yet-another Mohanlal film remake, soul and enthusiasm are missing. Haiwaan works best when it is aware that it is catering to a much larger, grander and more diverse cinema-consuming audience.
Lacking authenticity
The first half of Haiwaan is fast-paced. Once the actual chase begins, the narrative gets complicated and choppy. Shyam, in one scene, is at the police station and in the next, he is being slapped by a cop and arrested in his hometown. There is no connection between the sequences. There are many such examples where the sequence of events goes haywire. Serious scenes become laughable, and the climax lacks authenticity and sincerity.
One of the reasons why Haiwaan fails to click is the performances. Akshay looks exhausted and carries one expression throughout the film. Dragged to 164 minutes, his act lacks the villainous punch that could have carried the narrative forward. Parshuram’s build-up hinted that he is a living monster, but the execution doesn’t have that bite. Saif, still underwhelming, has his moments. His understanding of Shyam is more about convenience. Performative rather than natural and comfortable, Saif had big shoes to fill.
Haiwaan Performances
Sharib Hashmi as Senior Inspector Ashok Shinde has performed well. He has multiple layers, and all of them unfold at the right time and in the right situation. Shriya Pilgaonkar is good as Naina and gets enough screen space to show her acting skills. Saiyami Kher has been utilised well in the role of Inspector Varsha Joshi. Kiran Dange as Manya could remind you of Drishyam’s Gaitonde. Their energies are similar. Asrani’s comic timing is unmatchable, but again, the character’s skeleton is weak. Rajpal Yadav needs to reinvent himself at this time. Every character seems to be an extension of the previous.
Haiwaan Movie Verdict
Priyadarshan casts his routine favourites, giving them barely anything different to do. The fatigue of seeing the same people doing similar stuff is alarming. It is time for the filmmaker to end the loop and try something that the current bunch of audience is ready to accept.
