'Haiwaan' Review: Saif Ali Khan Stands Out, But Priyadarshan's Thriller Drags

Haiwaan is a Hindi crime thriller that was directed by Priyadarshan and features the stars of Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar. Haiwaan is an Indian remake of Oppam, which was produced in Malayalam in 2016 by Priyadarshan. The story centers around a blind man who ends up trapped between a dangerous criminal and people who he wishes to protect. The movie has been released on 11 September 2026. It is an interesting film to watch, especially because of its compelling theme, an experienced cast, and some funny scenes in it.

Haiwaan Movie Details

Haiwaan Story Overview

Shyam Rane (Saif Ali Khan) is the protagonist of the movie who is blind and leads a normal life in Mumbai. He is a maintenance manager in one of the buildings. Despite his lack of eyesight, Shyam has excellent sense of smell, hearing and touch. Also, he is emotionally close to his family members and friends.

However, his comfortable life is interrupted by the appearance of Parshuram Gokhale (Akshay Kumar). Parshuram has a terrible past that includes the death of his family due to a groundless accusation against them. His rage eventually makes him confront various people who are involved in his past history.

Pradhan is an ex-judge played by Boman Irani whose past decision is very much related to Parshuram's tragedy. Shyam ends up between two fires when Parshuram starts attacking those whom he thinks to be guilty. The rest of the plot is dedicated to the fight of Shyam to save those people around him from a dangerous man.

Haiwaan Review: A Good Thriller Buried Under a Long Runtime

The basic premise of Haiwaan is quite interesting. The plot of an individual who is visually impaired and relies on other senses of the body to survive against a dangerous criminal makes for sufficient action in the thriller genre.

What makes the movie fail is that it takes way too long to reach the climax. With a running time of around two hours and 45 minutes, it is certainly one of its major flaws. The first parts of the movie involve quite a bit of character development and relationship building before the actual thriller begins to build up.

The movie involves the inclusion of three songs and a wedding scene, which does not help in making the story progress further and only interferes with the action. There is some comedy in the movie as well, which works at times, especially in Sharib Hashmi.

Also Read- Apple iPhone 18 Launch: Triptii Dimri, AP Dhillon Wow

Saif Ali Khan Leads With a Warm Performance

One of the strongest assets of Haiwaan is Saif Ali Khan who gives warmth and sincerity to Shyam so that the interaction between him and his family as well as neighbors seems credible. The physical performance of the actor is not very credible, particularly in the wrestling episodes, but he performs all the small details of the character properly. It is his acting which provides the character with sufficient emotional appeal for the audience.

Akshay Kumar plays the part of Parshuram who serves as an antagonist in the movie. He brings energy, good delivery of dialogues and screen presence to the character, but sometimes the performance is rather excessive. The villain had to be more scary and threatening, and in this case he is not.

The supporting cast works very well here. Sharib Hashmi gets some of the most amusing parts in the film, and Boman Irani and late Asrani bring warmth to their roles. However, Shriya Pilgaonkar and Saiyami Kher have no enough to perform. Mohanlal has also appeared in the film.

Music and Visual Appeal

The filmmaker creates a dark and mysterious visual environment, especially when the movie moves towards the thrillers. The Mumbai setting and closed spaces help the movie when Priyadarshan centers his plot on the peculiar powers of Shyam and how he tries to outrun Parshuram.

The background music creates an element of suspense, and the action scenes provide the energy that the movie needs. However, the songs fail to contribute to the whole and sometimes hamper the progress of the story.

Editing is the main problem from a technical perspective because many scenes can be reduced without hurting the plot. The film has everything that would turn it into an exciting thriller, but it fails to keep up the pace.

What Are the Weak Points?

• Long runtime
• Slow pacing
• Uneven menace
• Unnecessary songs

Is Haiwaan Worth Watching?

Watch it if you:

• Like crime thrillers.
• Are a fan of Saif Ali Khan.
• Enjoy Priyadarshan's films.
• Want to see Akshay in a negative role.

Skip it if you:

• Prefer fast-paced thrillers.
• Have already watched Oppam.
• Dislike lengthy films.
• Expect a consistently tense experience.

Final Verdict

The movie Haiwaan is built on a good concept and has an excellent cast, but it doesn't utilize its premise or actors fully. Saif Ali Khan makes the protagonist likable, and Akshay Kumar provides enough energy to the character of the villain. The rest of the cast, including Sharib Hashmi and Asrani, provides some good moments of entertainment.

Nevertheless, the sluggish pace and long duration constantly hamper the suspense factor. Further, the movie fails to create enough fear about Parshuram. For those who have watched Oppam before, there will probably not much surprise left in this one.

Rating: 2.5/5

Overall, Haiwaan is a one-time watch for Saif Ali Khan and Priyadarshan fans, but it needed a sharper edit and stronger villainous impact to become a truly satisfying thriller.

Also Read- Saif Ali Khan and Triptii Dimri in Talks for Kamal Aur Meena