Haiwaan, a remake of Priyadarshan’s own Malayalam film, Oppam, stars Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar in lead roles. The fans have longed to see the two khiladis appear together on screen. And with one playing a blind man who can sense danger better than anyone else and one playing a man consumed with vengeance, the anticipation has been at its peak. But does Priyadarshan do justice to his own remake of the cat-and-mouse thriller? Or does he deliver a film that falls short of expectations? Read our review of Haiwaan to find out.

A solid setup makes for a great first half

Saif Ali Khan plays Shyam, a blind supervisor of a building whose sharp senses and observational skills let very little go past him. Akshay Kumar plays Parshuram, a man who is convicted for a crime he says he didn’t commit. His life is destroyed after his father poisons his whole family and dies by suicide out of humiliation. Parshuram blames all of this on Chief Justice, Judge Pradhan (Boman Irani), who passed his sentence. Pradhan, on the other hand, feels responsible and guilty about what happened with Parshuram, but due to lack of evidence, he had to convict him in a rape case. He tries to go meet him in the jail, but after his whole family dies, Parshuram is disturbed to the core and is sent to a mental institution for recovery. But Pradhan knows that once he’s out, he will come for him and his family and spare no one.

Pradhan therefore confides in Shyam about his personal details and his illegitimate daughter, Nandini. She has been kept away from everything and studies in a boarding school in Dehradun, unaware of her real family. The first half does a decent job of building the tension, mystery, and anticipation about what happens next. When Parshuram is out to settle scores and reaches Pradhan to take his revenge, he is faced by Shyam. While he can’t see, his senses can outwit anyone with eyesight, and it’s exciting to see the face-off between Akshay and Saif. You can sense the thriller the movie wants to be… until it loses the plot.

Apparently, we needed comedy

The biggest issue with Haiwaan is the confusion of tone. What the movie needs is tension, mystery, and a sense of unease. But what it gives you is Priyadarshan’s classic and repetitive comedy. The second half of the movie turns the police investigation about Pradhan’s murder into a comical sequence. While his signature comedy gives a great contrast to the building suspense when sprinkled all over, it feels like someone accidentally dumped the whole spice box into the second half. And then almost forgot to bring back the nail-biting story it promises in the first half.

Akshay is easily one of the most interesting elements about the movie. He brings a dark and dangerous energy to his character and does a fair job of portraying the betrayed, vengeful character. Saif, on the other hand, is equally convincing as a blind man without getting too predictable. His senses, brutal honesty and earnestness make him believable, not someone you just pity. But the writing and storyline are never sharp enough to match what both of the actors are capable of.

After Bhoot Bangla, Haiwaan feels repetitive with the same comic framework and style. It is that familiar Priyadarshan territory that just doesn’t feel exciting or refreshing anymore. What had the potential to be a great thriller simply ends up being neither funny nor gripping. Between being a slapstick comedy and a suspense thriller, Haiwaan can be a disappointing watch for fans of this particular genre.

Haiwaan is now running in cinemas near you.

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