Plot
Shyam Rane (Saif Ali Khan) is a visually impaired man who supports his siblings and works as a maintenance manager at a high-rise building in Mumbai. Despite his lack of sight, Shyam possesses exceptionally sharp senses of smell, hearing and touch, making him dependable to everyone around him.
His peaceful life is disturbed by Parshuram Gokhale (Akshay Kumar), a deeply troubled man driven by revenge. After his family was destroyed following a false accusation and his father killed the household before dying by suicide, Parshuram emerges from a mental institution determined to settle old scores. Shyam unexpectedly becomes the biggest obstacle between Parshuram and his targets.
Overview
Directed by Priyadarshan, Haiwaan is the Hindi remake of his 2016 Malayalam thriller Oppam. The film reunites Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan and combines thriller elements with Priyadarshan's trademark humour.
While the central story has enough material for a gripping cat-and-mouse thriller, the 165-minute runtime, unnecessary songs and inconsistent tonal shifts weaken the tension. The film has several entertaining moments but struggles to match the intensity and tight storytelling of the original.
Performances
Saif Ali Khan delivers a sincere and warm performance as Shyam. His portrayal works particularly well during emotional scenes and moments highlighting Shyam's responsibility toward his family and neighbours. However, the character's physically demanding wrestling portions are less convincing.
Akshay Kumar commits strongly to Parshuram, but the villain never becomes as frightening as the story requires. The performance occasionally feels exaggerated, reducing the sense of danger and sometimes unintentionally creating humour.
Sharib Hashmi stands out as Inspector Sanjay Shinde and provides some of the film's funniest moments. Boman Irani delivers a dependable performance, while the late Asrani leaves an impression as security guard Hussain.
Shriya Pilgaonkar and Saiyami Kher perform adequately but are given limited scope. Mohanlal's cameo provides a nostalgic connection to Oppam.
Technical Aspects
Priyadarshan handles several individual scenes effectively, particularly those involving humour and character interactions. However, the thriller portions lack sustained tension.
The production design and Mumbai high-rise setting work well for the story, while the cinematography adequately captures both the domestic and suspenseful portions. The film would have benefited from a darker and more atmospheric visual treatment during Parshuram's scenes.
Music
The film features three songs, but none makes a lasting impact. More importantly, their placement affects the thriller's momentum. A dance sequence around a wedding celebration arrives just before an important development and weakens the buildup.
A tighter soundtrack with greater emphasis on background scoring rather than full-length songs could have strengthened the suspense.
Editing
Editing is one of Haiwaan's biggest weaknesses. At approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, the film feels considerably longer than necessary.
Several portions could have been shortened, particularly the early setup, songs and comedic diversions. Cutting around 25–30 minutes could have resulted in a sharper and more engaging thriller.
Positives
- Saif Ali Khan's sincere performance
- Sharib Hashmi's entertaining comic timing
- Strong basic thriller premise
- Asrani's memorable supporting appearance
- Boman Irani's dependable performance
- A few effective Priyadarshan-style comedy scenes
- Mohanlal's nostalgic cameo
Negatives
- Excessive 165-minute runtime
- Slow first half and delayed thriller setup
- Akshay Kumar's villain lacks enough menace
- Songs interrupt the narrative flow
- Comedy sometimes reduces suspense
- Shriya Pilgaonkar and Saiyami Kher are underused
- Climax lacks the expected intensity
- Inferior to the tighter storytelling of Oppam
Analysis
Haiwaan has almost all the ingredients required for an engaging thriller — an established filmmaker, two major stars, a proven storyline and a strong supporting cast. Its biggest problem is not the concept but its execution.
The film spends too much time establishing characters and introducing comedy before fully committing to the thriller. Once the conflict intensifies, the audience should feel constantly threatened by Parshuram, but Akshay Kumar's exaggerated treatment of the villain prevents the character from becoming genuinely unsettling.
Saif Ali Khan provides the film with its emotional anchor, while Sharib Hashmi and Asrani make the lighter portions enjoyable. However, those strengths cannot fully compensate for sluggish pacing and inconsistent suspense.
Viewers unfamiliar with Oppam may find portions of Haiwaan reasonably entertaining. For those who have watched the Malayalam original, comparisons are unavoidable, and Haiwaan feels longer, less intense and less focused.
Bottomline: Missed Potential
Rating: 2.5/5
