Haiwaan, Priyadarshan’s Hindi remake of the Malayalam film Oppam, opened in theatres on Friday and recorded an estimated ₹3 crore in India on its first day, according to early box-office figures. The film stars Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan in the lead roles and marks the final screen appearance of veteran actor Asrani, who died in 2025. The film is a Hindi adaptation of Priyadarshan’s 2016 Malayalam thriller Oppam, which featured Mohanlal in the lead role. For Haiwaan, Priyadarshan has brought the story to Hindi cinema with Akshay and Saif at the centre of the narrative.
The combination of the director and two established Bollywood actors had generated interest ahead of the release, particularly among audiences familiar with the original film. Despite the star power attached to the project, Haiwaan began its theatrical run with a modest opening. The reported ₹3 crore first-day collection indicates that the film will need stronger audience turnout over the weekend if it is to build momentum at the box office. Friday figures are generally influenced by advance bookings, word of mouth and the response generated by the film's initial shows, making the Saturday and Sunday collections important indicators of its theatrical trajectory.
Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan lead the cast in the Hindi adaptation, marking another collaboration between two prominent actors with extensive experience across different genres. Akshay has frequently appeared in action, comedy and thriller projects, while Saif has worked across mainstream and character-driven films. Their pairing in Haiwaan is among the film's key attractions, with the thriller format providing the actors with an opportunity to explore roles different from some of their recent releases. The film also carries significance because it features Asrani in what has been described as his final film appearance. The veteran actor, known for a career spanning several decades in Hindi cinema, died in 2025.
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His presence gives Haiwaan an additional emotional and historical dimension for audiences familiar with his work. The film's release therefore marks another chapter in the career of an actor who became widely recognised for his memorable supporting and comic performances. Haiwaan is based on the central premise of Oppam, Priyadarshan's Malayalam thriller that received attention for its combination of suspense and character-driven storytelling. Adapting a successful regional film for another language comes with the challenge of retaining the elements that made the original effective while presenting them in a way that connects with a new audience.
The Hindi version also faces competition from other films and must rely on audience response in the coming days to strengthen its box-office performance. With an opening-day collection of around ₹3 crore, the film's immediate focus will now shift to its first weekend. Strong growth over Saturday and Sunday could improve its overall prospects and indicate positive word of mouth, while limited movement could make it difficult for the film to sustain its theatrical run. The coming days will provide a clearer picture of whether Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan's latest thriller can translate its star appeal and Priyadarshan's direction into stronger box-office numbers.
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