Without seeing the original, we can safely say that Priyadarshan has made a mockery of his 2016 Malayalam crime thriller. Poor Saif Ali Khan seems to be the lone guy serious about his craft, while the rest are just going through the motions.
Rating: 
(1.5 / 5)
By Mayur Lookhar
An Akshay Kumar-Saif Ali Khan reunion after 18 years. Adding to the buzz was the fact that the Main Khiladi Tu Anari (1994) duo would be squaring up against each other in Haiwaan – helmed by Priyadarshan. The Hindi film is a remake of Priyadarshan’s 2016 Malayalam neo-noir crime thriller Oppam. We chose to skip the original, in the hope of experiencing something new.
Story
Shyam Rana (Saif Ali Khan), a blind maintenance manager in a plush Mumbai tower, is entrusted by a former Chief Justice to look after his little daughter, said to be born out of wedlock. Justice Pradhan and Nandini are being hunted by Parshuram Gokhale (Akshay Kumar), who years ago was convicted by Pradhan for a crime that he didn’t commit. Brace yourself for a conflict between a devil (haiwaan) and a daredevil.
Screenplay & Direction
An innocent, hard done by law, and now going after a legal luminary, is a plot that was perhaps first explored in the Gregory Peck starrer Cape Fear (1962). Robert De Niro played the disgruntled convict in the 1991 remake, helmed by Martin Scorsese. Priyadarshan’s Malayalam film Oppam, starring Mohanlal, was the brainchild of Govind Vijayan. Beyond the threat faced by a legal person, Oppam and Cape Fear have little in common.
Does Haiwaan do justice to Oppam? Honestly, the screenplay and direction are so bad that even without seeing the original, we can safely say that Priyadarshan has made a mockery of his 2016 Malayalam neo noir crime thriller. He cops the blame here along with his co-writers – Abhilash Nair (also credited as co-director) and Rohan Shankar (dialogues), the very man who wrote the cringe-worthy Bhooth Bangla (2026).
You don’t go looking for logic in a Priyadarshan film, but it beggars belief as to how, despite Shyam alerting the local Mumbai police to the threat posed by Parshuram, they don’t take him seriously. Yes, the cop Shinde (Sharib Hashmi) is incompetent, but how does it make sense that after committing a crime, Parshuram takes refuge in the same plush tower, without the cops or society taking cognizance of the presence of a recent guest?
In a real world, poor society workers and house helps aren’t much respected and are often forced to commute via service lifts in towers. Nirvana Society is inclusive, where security guards or house helps, irrespective of their caste or creed, are all treated with dignity. Naina (Shriya Pilgaonkar) works in Pradhan’s house and also serves other members. She is so loved that she is made part of a society wedding, with Naina, all dressed in expensive traditional wear, leading the procession at the sangeet. Though farfetched, one welcomes this dignity of labour in Haiwaan. However, it does little to uplift the poor screenplay and insipid direction, and needlessly stretches the film.
At 164 minutes, seven more than Oppam, Haiwaan simply turns out to be a real snoozefest, making you want to hit the exit door
Acting
There’s a casting story to Haiwaan, with director Priyadarshan revealing in media interviews how he initially conceived this Hindi remake with Bobby Deol and Akshaye Khanna as first choices. The former wasn’t convinced, and the latter didn’t really get back, prompting Priyadarshan to even consider a third choice – Suniel Shetty. Akshay Kumar was nowhere in his thoughts, but while filming Bhooth Bangla, Priyadarshan had a casual conversation about Haiwaan, and Akshay Kumar jumped at the idea of playing a psycho killer.
Great things, or even terrible things can some times take place over a casual discussion. Unfortunately, Haiwaan turned out to be the latter. Kumar’s played the baddie before in films like Ajnabee (2001), Blue (2009), 2.0 (2018), but a psycho killer is a first one. You can’t fault Kumar for the choice, but he doesn’t back it up any real intensity. The trailer had us worried, promoting us to wonder which Akshay Kumar will turn up in Haiwaan? Will be it like the one seen in Sarfira, Welcome to the Jungle or Housefull? Regrettably, for his fans, the Haiwaan that shows up here is more on the lines of Kumar’s cringe characters in Housefull. Though meant to be a serious film, a serious character, Kumar’s reduces Parshuram to a joke.
You feel sorry for Saif Ali Khan, who wages a lone battle with this challenging character in every sense. A blind man serving as a maintenance manager (security) in a Mumbai plush tower is a far-fetched idea, but empowering nonetheless. And Khan convinces you of the strong mind, strong body, and powerful sense of smell of Shyam. He’s not superhero but a desi Daredevil. Here’s a man who is the most trusted staff member of the society, forever serving Nirvana and its members. His family life is going through various challenges, but the man never puts his guard down in service of Nirvana. Even as the screenplay and direction sap you, it’s Khan alone who earns respect for a sincere showing.
Like his character, Boman Irani looks dispirited in every sense. Thankfully, his ordeal is cut short just an hour into the film. For a man who claims to like serious cinema, Priyadarshan is perhaps a victim of his comedy films. A little banter in a crime thriller is fine, but Priyadarshan throws trashy humour into Haiwaan, with poor Sharib Hashmi having to endure his imbecilic cop character, Shinde. Rajpal Yadav has had enough real legal troubles of his own, and the last thing he’d wish is to be involved in reel legal trouble. His auto driver character, Chandu, feels sandwiched in the conflict, while it’s the audience who has to endure Chandu’s brief but bumpy ride. Shriya Pilgaonkar is gifted but deserves better characters than Naina. Nothing against the character’s profession. Each time you see Saiyami Kher on screen, be it films or cricket shows, you question whether these are plum opportunities she truly deserves.
While the film strives for inclusivity, the scene where Cop Shinde presses the senior-most employee, Hussein (late Asrani), about his personal life feels out of place. Hussein reveals he has been married four times and that his children are constantly at odds , a stereotypical framing that contradicts the movie’s progressive message.
Music and Technical Aspects
Music can be a distraction in a crime thriller, but the couple of early soft tracks are worth a listen. Shaan’s crooning of Mere Hero Hai Woh stands out, reflecting the bond between Shyam and little Nandini (Pahal Ashok Choudhury). Mumbai’s skyscrapers can be suffocating, but Divakar Mani neatly captures the city’s plush locales of BKC, and traffic on flyovers. Tech is merely there to support, but a crime thriller ought to thrive on the back of its storytelling, which is where Haiwaan disappoints. For an action film, the climactic combat between Shyam and Parshuram, too, lacks real intensity and bite.
Final Words
Following Bhooth Bangla, Haiwaan, too, proves an exasperating experience. 164 minutes later, you are left pitying both the devil and the daredevil, and sighing, “Hey Bhagwan, glad this is over.
Video review below.
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