Haiwaan Teaser Review: Akshay Kumar Turns Pure Evil Against Saif Ali Khan in Priyadarshan’s Oppam Remake

Bollywood trailers often try to explain an entire movie in three minutes. Haiwaan does the exact opposite.

The first teaser of Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan’s upcoming thriller lasts only around 45 seconds, yet it creates enough mystery to make you immediately curious about the film. Faces are largely hidden, the visuals are dark, and instead of revealing the story, the teaser relies on shadows, disturbing imagery and one terrifying laugh.

Directed by Priyadarshan, Haiwaan is the official Hindi remake of his 2016 Malayalam thriller Oppam, which starred Mohanlal in the lead role. This time, Saif Ali Khan steps into the visually impaired protagonist’s role while Akshay Kumar plays the dangerous antagonist. Mohanlal is also expected to make a cameo appearance in the Hindi adaptation.

Haiwaan Teaser Creates Suspense Without Revealing the Story

The smartest thing about the Haiwaan teaser is how little it tells us.

We see Saif Ali Khan’s character using a white walking stick and a tactile watch, immediately establishing that he cannot see. At the same time, another mysterious figure appears around him through shadows and reflections.

Then comes the darker imagery — a murder, money falling from a building and Akshay Kumar’s sinister presence.

But the teaser saves its strongest weapon for the end: Akshay Kumar’s disturbing laugh.

That single moment establishes exactly what kind of character he may be playing. Akshay has also described his Haiwaan character as completely evil rather than morally grey, making this a major departure from many of his familiar comic and heroic roles.

Saif Ali Khan vs Akshay Kumar Could Be the Film’s Biggest Strength

Saif Ali Khan has always been an interesting performer in multi-star films because he rarely needs to dominate every scene to leave an impression.

Haiwaan, however, creates an unusual situation.

Saif appears to be playing the story’s protector, while Akshay Kumar is being positioned as the film’s frightening force of evil.

The contrast is fascinating: one character cannot see physically, while the other appears blinded by obsession and violence.

The first-look posters had already played with this idea visually. Akshay was presented in darkness while Saif’s character, despite being visually impaired, appeared associated with awareness and determination.

How Is Haiwaan Connected to Mohanlal’s Oppam?

This is where things become even more interesting.

Oppam follows a visually impaired man who becomes caught in a deadly situation involving a young girl and a dangerous killer. Mohanlal played the central character in the Malayalam original.

Haiwaan uses the same basic foundation, with Saif Ali Khan taking on the role connected to Mohanlal’s character and Akshay Kumar playing the psychopath.

That naturally creates one major question:

If audiences already know Oppam, what will Haiwaan offer that feels new?

This could ultimately decide whether the remake succeeds.

Will Priyadarshan Change the Original Oppam Story?

The teaser makes me believe Haiwaan may not simply be a scene-by-scene copy.

That is still a theory rather than a confirmed plot detail, but Akshay Kumar is being marketed very aggressively as the film’s “Haiwaan.” Instead of hiding his villain status, the promotional material has made his evil personality one of the movie’s main attractions.

That could mean Priyadarshan has restructured parts of the screenplay to give the antagonist greater importance.

And that would be the right decision.

A remake works best when audiences familiar with the original still have something unexpected to discover. Changing motivations, character perspectives or major twists could allow Haiwaan and Oppam to exist as two different viewing experiences rather than the same movie in two languages.

The Biggest Problem for Haiwaan: Oppam Is Already Available to Hindi Audiences

There is, however, an obvious challenge.

Because Oppam has already been watched by many viewers outside Malayalam cinema, people who know its major twists may wonder why they should pay to watch another version of the same story.

That puts extra pressure on Akshay Kumar’s character.

If Priyadarshan significantly changes the villain, expands his backstory or introduces new twists, Haiwaan could overcome the usual criticism surrounding Hindi remakes.

If not, comparisons with Mohanlal’s film will be unavoidable.

Haiwaan Also Faces a Tough September 2026 Box Office

Haiwaan is scheduled to release in cinemas on September 11, 2026.

And September is becoming crowded.

Mirzapur: The Movie is scheduled to arrive one week earlier on September 4, 2026, bringing the popular crime franchise to theatres with Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal and Divyenndu among its returning stars.

Haiwaan also currently shares its September 11 date with Udta Teer, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Sara Ali Khan.

So even before release, Haiwaan may have to fight for audience attention.

Final Thoughts on the Haiwaan Teaser

For now, the teaser has done exactly what a teaser should do.

It has not explained the movie.

It has sold a mood.

Saif Ali Khan’s visually impaired protagonist, Akshay Kumar’s terrifying negative character, Priyadarshan returning to the world of Oppam and Mohanlal’s cameo together make Haiwaan one of the more intriguing Bollywood thrillers of 2026.

The biggest question is no longer whether Haiwaan is a remake. We already know that.

The real question is:

How much has Priyadarshan changed?

If Haiwaan manages to surprise even those who have already watched Oppam, the remake tag may not matter much.

But if the September 11 release simply recreates the Malayalam original with different stars, convincing audiences to buy a theatre ticket could become its biggest challenge.

For now, that chilling Akshay Kumar laugh has definitely made the wait more interesting.

What do you think? Will you watch Haiwaan in theatres even if you have already seen Oppam?