Haiwaan trailer: Akshay Kumar turns ‘out-and-out evil’ as blind Saif Ali Khan becomes the one witness he cannot ignore

The trailer of Haiwaan has arrived, and it presents Akshay Kumar in a form audiences rarely get to see. Leaving the heroic image behind, the actor plays a cold-blooded psychopath in Priyadarshan’s upcoming thriller, while Saif Ali Khan finds himself at the centre of his deadly game.

The film, scheduled to hit theatres on September 11, 2026, reunites Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan after nearly two decades. But instead of putting the two stars on the same side, Haiwaan turns their reunion into a tense battle of survival.

Haiwaan trailer builds a chilling murder mystery

The trailer wastes little time establishing its unsettling atmosphere. A series of murders has created fear, while the identity and motives of the killer remain at the heart of the mystery.

At the centre of the story is Saif Ali Khan’s visually impaired character, whose apparent vulnerability quickly proves deceptive. He may not be able to see the danger approaching, but his heightened awareness of voices, sounds and other details makes him far more capable than his enemy initially expects.

That becomes crucial after he finds himself connected to a murder committed by a dangerous criminal. The killer believes a blind witness poses little threat, but that assumption appears to set the stage for the film’s central cat-and-mouse battle.

The trailer repeatedly plays with the contrast between what can be seen and what can be understood, turning Saif’s character into an unlikely obstacle for a killer accustomed to controlling the situation. The film has been positioned as an intense psychological and crime thriller built around precisely this confrontation.

Akshay Kumar’s Haiwaan is frighteningly different

The biggest talking point, however, is undoubtedly Akshay Kumar.

The actor embraces a menacing, unrestrained avatar that is far removed from many of his recent comedy, action and drama roles. There appears to be no attempt to soften his character or offer an easy justification for his brutality.

Akshay had already made that clear while discussing the film earlier this month, describing his character as having “no grey shades” and being “out and out evil.” He also revealed that playing a psychopath on screen was something he had wanted to explore and described Haiwaan as a new acting challenge.

That intention comes through strongly in the trailer. His unpredictable body language and raw appearance give the antagonist a disturbing presence, making the confrontation with Saif feel less like a conventional hero-versus-villain battle and more like a psychological duel.

Director Priyadarshan has similarly described Akshay’s role as a “psycho” villain, while speaking about the contrasting personalities at the heart of the thriller.

Saif Ali Khan faces a very different challenge

While Akshay Kumar’s villainous transformation is designed to grab attention, Saif Ali Khan’s performance appears equally important to making the premise work.

Saif plays a visually impaired man who cannot rely on sight as danger closes in around him. Instead, the character must depend on his instincts and other senses to understand the threat and stay ahead of his pursuer.

Priyadarshan has spoken positively about Saif’s approach to the character, while recent reports have described the role as that of a visually impaired man with martial-arts abilities.

The contrast gives Haiwaan its central hook: one man believes his victim cannot identify him, while the other may understand far more than the killer realises.

Haiwaan brings Priyadarshan back to Oppam territory

Haiwaan is an adaptation of Priyadarshan’s 2016 Malayalam thriller Oppam, which starred Mohanlal.

Rather than simply relying on its familiar premise, the Hindi version places two established Bollywood stars on opposing sides of the story, with Saif Ali Khan taking the visually impaired protagonist’s role and Akshay Kumar becoming the dangerous antagonist.

For Priyadarshan, the film also represents a notable shift in tone from the comedies many Hindi audiences associate with his collaborations with Akshay.

The filmmaker and Akshay have worked together repeatedly over the years, but Haiwaan uses that familiarity to present the actor in a deliberately unfamiliar space.

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Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan reunite after years

There is another layer of nostalgia surrounding the project.

Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan were a popular pairing during the 1990s and 2000s, appearing together in films such as Yeh Dillagi, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Tu Chor Main Sipahi, Keemat and later Tashan.

Now, instead of the camaraderie associated with some of their earlier films, Haiwaan places them in direct conflict.

That reversal could prove to be one of the film’s biggest attractions: two actors with decades of shared screen history returning as hunter and hunted.

Strong supporting cast adds to the mystery

The thriller also features an ensemble cast including Boman Irani, Saiyami Kher, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Rajpal Yadav, Sharib Hashmi, Rajesh Sharma, Pahal Chaudhary and Manoj Joshi. The official promotional credits list Venkat K. Narayana and Shailaja Desai Fenn as producers, while Pritam has composed the music.

With the trailer now revealing more of the film’s psychological conflict, Haiwaan appears to be banking on suspense, violence and two dramatically different performances from its leading men.

The biggest question is also the simplest one: when Akshay Kumar’s ruthless killer finally closes in on Saif Ali Khan’s visually impaired witness, who will actually have the advantage?

Audiences will find out when Haiwaan releases in cinemas on September 11, 2026.