Haiwaan (2026): Cast, Story & OTT Details

Haiwaan is a neo-noir crime thriller and Priyadarshan's Hindi remake of his 2016 Malayalam film Oppam. It reunites Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan on screen for the first time since Tashan (2008).

Release date and status

Haiwaan released on 11 September 2026. Release markets: India (theatrical), worldwide. Language: Hindi.

OTT release

According to Wikipedia, Sony Pictures Networks bought the post-theatrical digital and satellite rights in a pre-release deal reported at ₹80 crore. No streaming date had been announced as of 25 September 2026.

Cast and crew

• Director: Priyadarshan
• Music: Pritam, Ronnie Raphael
• Cast: Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Boman Irani, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Saiyami Kher

Production history

Haiwaan is Priyadarshan's Hindi remake of his own 2016 Malayalam film Oppam. Pre-production began in May 2025 and the film was announced in July 2025, reuniting Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan on screen for the first time since Tashan (2008). Bobby Deol was considered for the antagonist but declined, and Akshaye Khanna was approached before Akshay Kumar took the role. Asrani, Shriya Pilgaonkar and Saiyami Kher joined in August 2025, and Mohanlal, the lead of the original, makes a cameo.

Filming began in Kochi, including Panampilly Nagar, then moved to Vagamon and Ooty before the final Mumbai schedule from mid-October 2025 at locations such as Churchgate station, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bandra Kurla Complex and Alibaug. The shoot wrapped in December 2025 at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, and post-production was completed in July 2026. Asrani, who died in October 2025, finished his portions before his death, making this his final film. It is produced by KVN Productions and Thespian Films.

Trailer and music

First-look posters were unveiled on 15 July 2026, the teaser on 12 August and the trailer on 25 August 2026. Pritam composed the songs to lyrics by Javed Akhtar, and Ronnie Raphael composed the background score. The singles "Mera Hero Hai Woh" (19 August), "Rangiyara" (31 August) and "Main Toh Nahi Haiwaan" (7 September 2026) were released before the film opened.

Certification and runtime

The CBFC granted a U/A 16+ certificate on 8 September 2026. Its Examining Committee asked for a visual in the first half to be modified, a derogatory line near the interval to be replaced and a word in the second half to be changed; no visual cuts were ordered. The runtime is 164 minutes.

Box office

Haiwaan opened with ₹2.79 crore net in India. Wikipedia reports a worldwide gross of ₹11.52 crore (₹10.37 crore India and ₹1.15 crore overseas) and describes the film as a box-office bomb.

Critical reception

Reviews were mixed to negative; Rotten Tomatoes listed 25% of 16 critics' reviews as positive (average 4.8/10). Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV (3/5) felt the film could not escape the shadow of Mohanlal's Oppam. Rishabh Suri of the Hindustan Times (3/5) credited Priyadarshan with creating atmosphere, but pointed to plot holes before the climax, found Saif Ali Khan unconvincing as a visually impaired man, called Pritam's music one of the weakest links, and felt Akshay Kumar was let down by the writing.