Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan reunite in Haiwaan; thriller opens to mixed reviews
Haiwaan, the dark thriller that brings Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan together on screen for the first time in 18 years, released in cinemas on Thursday, 11 September, with early reviews praising the two leads but faulting the writing. Directed by Priyadarshan, the film is a Hindi remake of his own 2016 Malayalam hit Oppam, according to IWMBuzz and India TV News.
The film is produced by Venkat K Narayana and Shailaja Desai Fenn under KVN Productions and Thespian Films, runs about 2 hours 44 minutes and carries a U/A 16+ certificate, India TV News reported.
The story
Saif Ali Khan plays Shyam Rane, a visually impaired maintenance manager and martial artist who becomes the protector of a judge's foster daughter after the judge is murdered. Akshay Kumar plays Parshuram Gokhale, a man who was wrongly imprisoned because of the judge's actions and has returned for revenge. Boman Irani, Saiyami Kher, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Sharib Hashmi, Asrani and Rajesh Sharma make up the supporting cast.
The casting has drawn attention because it pushes Kumar, long associated with heroic and comic roles, into playing an out-and-out antagonist. The two actors last shared the screen in Tashan in 2008, and Priyadarshan has worked with Kumar on a string of comedies including Hera Pheri and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, making the shift to a dark thriller a departure for both.
What the critics say
Reviews published on release day have been mixed to negative. IWMBuzz gave the film two stars out of five, writing that "Saif Ali Khan truly commands attention" and that Kumar is "equally impressive", but that the screenplay "feels stretched and disjointed" and the second half disappoints. Glamsham's review was headlined "Disappointing", and other critics have described the cat-and-mouse premise as stale despite the actors' commitment.
The box office picture
Advance sales suggested a modest start. India TV News reported that the film sold more than 30,000 tickets for its opening day, grossing Rs 79.18 lakh in early advance bookings and Rs 2.41 crore including blocked seats. Koimoi tracked about 10,000 tickets in the top two national chains, PVR Inox and Cinepolis, a day before release. NewsBytes reported trade projections of a roughly Rs 5 crore net opening, with a range of Rs 4-7 crore.
Haiwaan is up against two films still running strongly: Mirzapur: The Movie, which India TV News and Bollyquick reported has crossed Rs 148 crore net since its 4 September release, and Hanuman Ansh. The Haiwaan trailer had drawn more than 24 million views on YouTube before release.
What happens next
The opening weekend, with word of mouth weighed against the reviews, will decide whether the star pairing can hold screens into next week. Trade watchers will be looking at whether Friday and Saturday collections grow from the opening day, and at how the film performs in Maharashtra, which led advance bookings.