Haiwaan Movie Review: Priyadarshan’s latest thriller Haiwaan brings together two popular Bollywood stars, Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, in a dark cat-and-mouse story inspired by the director’s own Malayalam film Oppam. Despite its promising premise, strong cast and occasional bursts of tension, the film has received a largely mixed-to-negative response from critics.
Based on the reviews currently counted, Haiwaan has an average rating of 2.28/5, with only 20% positive reviews. Out of eight reviews, two are positive while five are negative and one is neutral.
The biggest criticism revolves around the screenplay, pacing, length and inconsistent execution. Several reviewers have also pointed out that Akshay Kumar’s limited role is a major disappointment, particularly because the film reunites Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan on screen after 17 years.
Here is a detailed look at what critics are saying about Haiwaan.
Haiwaan Movie Review and Critics’ Ratings
The early critical response to Haiwaan suggests that the film struggles to fully capitalize on its intriguing storyline and star power.
The movie has been described as glossy and technically polished, but many critics feel that its lengthy runtime and uneven writing prevent it from becoming the gripping thriller it could have been.
Average Haiwaan Rating: 2.28/5
- Average Rating: 2.28/5
- Positive Reviews: 2
- Neutral Reviews: 0
- Negative Reviews: 5
- Reviews Counted: 8
- Positive Score: 20%
The ratings indicate that while the movie has some strengths, the overall critical consensus currently leans toward disappointment.
Priyadarshan’s Haiwaan Faces Screenplay Criticism
Priyadarshan is known for balancing comedy, drama, suspense and chaotic situations, but according to several reviews, Haiwaan does not consistently bring those elements together.
The story is inspired by Priyadarshan’s Malayalam film Oppam, but critics have questioned how effectively the material has been adapted for this version.
Komal Nahta of Film Information gave the movie a negative assessment, describing the story as less engaging and the screenplay as complicated and difficult to follow. The review also highlights Akshay Kumar’s limited presence as one of the film’s biggest weaknesses.
Rating: —/5 | Review By: Komal Nahta | Site: Filminformation
Priyadarshan’s story, inspired by his own Malayalam film Oppam, is not very engaging. The screenplay, written by Priyadarshan, Abilash Nair and Rohan Shankar, is contrived and convoluted. On the whole, Haiwaan is a weak fare and will face rejection at the ticket windows. Akshay Kumar not having a full-fledged role in the film is a big minus point.
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The criticism is especially significant because expectations around Haiwaan were naturally high due to the combination of Priyadarshan, Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan.
Indian Express Calls Haiwaan More Miss Than Hit
Shubhra of The Indian Express also gave Haiwaan 2/5, suggesting that the movie does not reach the level of Priyadarshan’s strongest work.
According to the review, the director has previously demonstrated an ability to bring seemingly unrelated elements together for an entertaining climax. However, Haiwaan reportedly struggles to maintain that momentum.
Rating: 2/5 | Review By: Shubhra | Site: Indian Express
When Priyadarshan is on top of his game, all his madly-disparate moving parts somehow come together and give us a rumbustious climax. Sadly, Haiwaan is more miss than hit, more uff uff than ole ole.
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The review essentially suggests that although the ingredients for an entertaining Priyadarshan thriller are present, they do not come together convincingly enough.
Hindustan Times Finds Potential in Haiwaan’s Final Act
Not every review completely dismisses Haiwaan. Rishabh of Hindustan Times gave the film 3/5, acknowledging that the central premise has potential.
The review suggests that the film takes considerable time to reach its strongest moments, but the final portion finally delivers some of the tension expected from a thriller.
Rating: 3/5 | Review By: Rishabh | Site: Hindustan Times
Overall, Haiwaan is a thriller that promises more than it delivers. The premise is strong, and the climax finally brings the tension that the film has been searching for. But getting there is a long journey. The writing is inconsistent, and too many plot points require the audience to overlook basic questions of logic. The songs further disrupt the film’s rhythm rather than enhancing it. There are flashes of a gripping thriller buried within Haiwaan, particularly in its final hour, but they are not enough. What could have been a taut thriller instead becomes an uneven watch.
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This review highlights one of the movie’s recurring issues: the final act appears to be stronger than much of what comes before it.
India Today: Good Cast, But Haiwaan Needed Tighter Editing
Shweta of India Today awarded Haiwaan 2.5/5.
The review acknowledges that the movie has several useful ingredients, including a capable cast, an interesting story and moments of comedy. However, the film reportedly needed a tighter screenplay and more disciplined editing.
Rating: 2.5/5 | Review By: Shweta | Site: India Today
Haiwaan is not a bad film. It has a good cast, a workable story, with splashes of comedy and a director who knows this material. It is simply a film that needed someone to make it tighter and cut it down to the thriller it could have been, rather than the occasionally enjoyable, ultimately unsatisfying version that has made it to screen.
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The assessment is more balanced than some of the harsher reviews, but it still identifies pacing and editing as major problems.
NDTV Praises the Film’s Glossy Presentation
Saibal of NDTV gave Haiwaan 3/5, making it one of the more favorable reviews among the currently available critics.
The review notes the film’s polished and flashy presentation while suggesting that Priyadarshan remains faithful to the central concept of the original story.
Rating: 3/5 | Review By: Saibal | Site: NDTV
Haiwaan is both glossy and flashy, but the director stays true to the core of the story. As for the wheel itself, it carries the weight of Haiwaan well enough not to wobble. It isn’t reinvented, only superficially spruced up to inveigle a wider audience.
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This review suggests that Haiwaan works reasonably well as a polished mainstream thriller, although it does not necessarily reinvent the material.
News18 Criticizes the Akshay-Saif Reunion
One of the biggest talking points surrounding Haiwaan is the reunion of Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan.
The two actors are returning to the screen together after 17 years, which created considerable anticipation among Bollywood audiences. However, Shachi of News18 believes the film does not give the stars strong enough material to make the most of that reunion.
The review awarded the film 2/5.
Rating: 2/5 | Review By: Shachi | Site: News18
What makes Haiwaan particularly disappointing is the fact that it brings together Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan after 17 years. Two stars of their stature and talent should have had far better material to work with. Instead, they spend much of the film trying to carry a sloppy screenplay on their shoulders, and even their combined presence isn’t enough to rescue it.Haiwaan might just leave you hairaan and pareshan. You’re better off waiting for its OTT release, because you might need a few breaks to make it through this one.
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The review reinforces the idea that the movie’s star power cannot completely overcome its writing problems.
Times of India Points to the Film’s Long Runtime
Runtime is another recurring concern in the Haiwaan movie review discussion.
Renuka of The Times of India gave the film 2.5/5, noting that some of the action sequences between the two leads work effectively. However, the movie reportedly struggles to sustain tension throughout its 2-hour and 44-minute runtime.
Rating: 2.5/5 | Review By: Renuka | Site: Times Of India
Barring a few effective hide-and-seek action sequences between the two leads, Haiwaan struggles to grip. It picks up somewhat after the interval, but with a runtime of 2 hours and 44 minutes, the film ultimately stretches a thin premise far beyond its limits leaving little impact by the time it ends. The Conjuring-style finale takes the tension out of the climax, veering into unintentional humour.
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The lengthy runtime appears to amplify the screenplay issues because scenes that might have worked better in a shorter thriller have more time to lose momentum.
Rediff Gives Haiwaan Its Lowest Rating
Sukanya of Rediff gave Haiwaan the lowest rating among the listed reviews, awarding it just 1/5.
The review takes particular issue with the movie’s logic and several situations that reportedly create unintended comedy rather than suspense.
Rating: 1/5 | Review By: Sukanya | Site: Rediff
Haiwaan’s staggeringly foolish notions make for unintended comedy. Where society meetings are held to intervene in building romances.Where the dead have not quite crossed over to the other side and announce a still alive and kicking kahani mein twist to awkward effect.Where policemen take the trouble to shame a suspect by dragging him all the way to his hometown for the sole purpose of humiliation.Where a villain finds enough time and inclination to change back from his nun ‘n’ guns get-up into his beanie and barrel jeans in the middle of a cat and mouse game. Where an unexpected Dil Chahta Hai reunion between Saif and Suchitra Pillai stumbles back at a 25-years-old lesson.Be a man. Not Haiwaan.
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The review indicates that the film’s attempt to mix twists, drama and thriller elements sometimes results in moments that undermine the intended seriousness.
Haiwaan Movie Review: What Critics Agree On
Although the critics differ in their individual ratings, several common themes emerge from the reviews.
1. Strong Premise, Uneven Execution
The basic idea behind Haiwaan appears to have potential, particularly as a dark thriller. However, multiple critics believe the execution does not consistently match the premise.
2. Screenplay Is the Biggest Weakness
Writing is arguably the most frequently criticized aspect of the film. Reviews describe the screenplay as inconsistent, convoluted or unnecessarily stretched.
3. Akshay Kumar’s Role Disappoints
Akshay Kumar’s limited role has emerged as a major concern. Given his popularity and the promotional attention around the Akshay-Saif reunion, expectations were higher for his character.
4. The Second Half Performs Better
Several reviews indicate that Haiwaan becomes more engaging after the interval. The final hour and climax contain some of the stronger thriller moments, although critics feel they arrive too late.
5. Runtime Hurts the Experience
At 2 hours and 44 minutes, Haiwaan is a lengthy watch for a thriller. Critics argue that a shorter, tighter edit could have improved the overall impact.
Is Haiwaan Worth Watching?
Based on the current critical response, Haiwaan appears to be a mixed-to-negative thriller with flashes of potential.
The movie has several obvious strengths: a high-profile cast, Priyadarshan’s experience with the genre, a workable premise and some effective action and suspense sequences. The second half reportedly offers more tension than the opening portions.
However, the weaknesses appear to be significant. The screenplay, pacing and runtime have attracted repeated criticism, while the limited use of Akshay Kumar is likely to disappoint audiences who expected a major two-hander between him and Saif Ali Khan.
The current 2.28/5 average rating and 20% positive score reflect this divided but predominantly unfavorable critical reaction.
For viewers who enjoy Priyadarshan’s filmmaking style or want to see Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan together again, Haiwaan may still hold some appeal. But audiences primarily looking for a tightly written and consistently gripping thriller may find the film frustrating.
Haiwaan Movie Review: Final Verdict
Haiwaan arrives with the ingredients of a potentially engaging Bollywood thriller but, according to most of the reviewed critics, struggles to turn those ingredients into a satisfying final product.
The reunion of Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan after 17 years creates plenty of curiosity, while Priyadarshan brings experience with both comedy and suspense. Yet the reviews suggest that the screenplay does not provide enough consistency to support the film’s considerable runtime.
The final act and select action sequences appear to be among the movie’s stronger elements, but critics largely agree that the film takes too long to reach those moments.
With ratings ranging from 1/5 to 3/5, the current Haiwaan movie review landscape suggests that this is an uneven thriller rather than the major comeback-style collaboration audiences may have expected.
Overall Rating Based on Reviews: 2.28/5
Verdict: An ambitious but uneven thriller that struggles with its screenplay, pacing and lengthy runtime, despite a strong cast and occasional moments of genuine tension.
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