Akshay Kumar is stepping into one of the darkest spaces of his career with Haiwaan, and the film’s newly unveiled teaser has put that shift front and centre. Directed by Priyadarshan, the thriller pairs Kumar with Saif Ali Khan and marks a major tonal departure for the actor, who says he has long wanted to play a character with no redeeming shades.
What makes the turn especially striking is that Kumar is not merely entering a thriller, he is embracing a character built around menace. In the teaser, he appears in a beanie and an unsettlingly intense avatar, signalling a performance that is far removed from the lighter, more familiar registers he has moved through in recent years.
Akshay Kumar Opens Up About His Evil Turn In Haiwaan
Speaking about the role, Akshay Kumar said, “As the title goes, I am playing Haiwaan and my character has no grey shades; he’s out-and-out evil. I always wanted to play a psycho on screen.”
He added, “With my last four-five films, I have tried to switch between completely different genres: comedy, horror, action, drama. This is my first time playing evil in the truest sense. I like to constantly challenge myself and Haiwaan is that challenge for me.”
Those words place Haiwaan in a fascinating spot within Kumar’s current screen journey. At a time when he has been consciously moving across genres, this film pushes that instinct to its sharpest extreme by handing him a role that is defined not by heroism, but by darkness.
Priyadarshan Recalls The Bhooth Bangla Moment
Priyadarshan revealed that the spark for Kumar’s look came unexpectedly on another set. “I saw Akshay casually wearing a beanie on the sets of Bhooth Bangla and immediately liked the look. While narrating Haiwaan, I never thought he would do the negative character. I was shocked when he asked, ‘Can I do it?’ I thought this would give me a different Akshay Kumar and a chance to see the actor’s potential.”
That anecdote gives Haiwaan an intriguing layer. What began as a visual spark on the sets of Bhooth Bangla has now evolved into a psychological thriller built around one of Kumar’s boldest choices in years, with Saif Ali Khan joining him in what promises to be an intense face-off.
Why Haiwaan Feels Like A Real Image Shift
More than just another collaboration, Haiwaan appears designed as a deliberate break from the Akshay Kumar image audiences have known across comedy, action and mainstream drama. Priyadarshan’s own reaction to Kumar volunteering for the part suggests that this was not the expected move from either actor or director, which is precisely why it lands with such force.
The pairing with Saif Ali Khan only adds to that intrigue. Bringing two major stars into a dark, shadowy psychological world gives the film a different energy from a standard commercial thriller, and it raises the possibility of a performance-led clash rather than a familiar hero-led vehicle.
Set for a theatrical release on September 11, Haiwaan now carries the weight of being more than a teaser-driven reveal. It stands as a film that could redefine how audiences look at Akshay Kumar, not as the star shifting genres for novelty, but as an actor willing to push into a far more dangerous and disturbing space.
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