Haiwaan Review: Akshay vs Saif in Priyadarshan Thriller

Retired judge Boman Irani just wants a quiet life with his daughter (Shriya Pilgaonkar). Problem is, a convict he put behind bars hasn't forgotten, and the threats start piling up fast. When the judge is murdered, the duty of protecting the daughter falls to Parshuram (Akshay Kumar), a visually impaired man who was fiercely loyal to the judge. Standing in his way is Shyam (Saif Ali Khan), a man with his own reasons for wanting the judge's family to suffer. Inspector Varsha Joshi (Saiyami Kher) circles the case from the outside, and what follows is a tense, twisty game of who gets to whom first.

Let's start with the obvious: a visually impaired hero in a Bollywood crime thriller is a rare swing, and Priyadarshan directs Akshay Kumar's Parshuram with surprising tenderness. Akshay doesn't play the disability as a gimmick. He plays it as a skill set - sharper hearing, careful movement, a mind that maps rooms like radar. It's some of his most disciplined work in years, and it reminded me why he's lasted three decades at the top.

Then there's Saif Ali Khan, who seems to be having the time of his life. His Shyam is coiled, smug, and genuinely unsettling - the kind of villain who smiles before he strikes. Put him opposite a restrained Akshay and you get a clash of acting styles that actually works. Boman Irani brings quiet dignity to his limited screen time, and Saiyami Kher's Inspector Varsha is no token cop; she gets real investigative beats and lands them.

The problem is the script's patience problem. Haiwaan spends its first hour setting up dominoes it doesn't knock down until much later, and by then you've checked your watch twice. Thrillers live and die on momentum, and this one keeps pausing to admire its own framing. Priyadarshan's craft is undeniable - the shadows, the cramped corridors, the sound design that makes you hear what Parshuram hears - but atmosphere isn't a substitute for urgency. Sharpib Hashmi and Rajpal Yadav add welcome texture in supporting roles, though the film doesn't always know what to do with them.

And yes, we have to talk about that runtime. At 164 minutes, Haiwaan is a two-hour movie wearing a three-hour coat. Trim twenty minutes of filler and you'd have a genuinely tight genre piece. Instead, it's a slow burn that occasionally forgets to burn.

Pros

• Akshay Kumar's restrained, thoughtful performance as Parshuram
• Saif Ali Khan is a deliciously menacing villain
• Strong supporting turns from Saiyami Kher and Boman Irani
• Priyadarshan's moody visuals and immersive sound design

Cons

• 164-minute runtime drains the tension
• First act takes too long to get moving
• A few subplots feel like padding
• Some late twists land with a thud rather than a gasp

Haiwaan is the kind of film that leaves you torn - you'll remember the performances long after the plot fades. Akshay Kumar proves he can carry a thriller without a single punchline, Saif Ali Khan reminds everyone why he's one of the great Hindi-cinema villains, and Priyadarshan shows he can do shadows as well as slapstick. What holds it back is a screenplay that mistakes length for depth. Watch it for the actors, not the editing room. A flawed but fascinating entry in Bollywood's crime-thriller shelf - and honestly, a Saif-versus-Akshay showdown is one we'd buy a ticket for any day of the week.