Haiwaan Trailer Out: Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan Face Off in Priyadarshan Thriller

The trailer for Haiwaan, starring Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, was released on Tuesday, August 25, giving audiences their first extended look at Priyadarshan’s dark thriller ahead of its theatrical release next month.

The film is scheduled to arrive in cinemas worldwide on September 11, 2026. KVN Productions announced the release date in June, while the trailer now sets up a tense confrontation between Kumar and Khan.

Kumar plays the titular Haiwaan, while Khan takes on the role of a visually impaired man caught in a dangerous chain of events. The trailer presents their characters on opposite sides of a violent cat-and-mouse game.

What the Haiwaan trailer shows

The trailer moves away from the mystery-heavy approach of the teaser released on August 12 and provides a clearer picture of the central conflict.

Kumar appears as a sinister and increasingly menacing character, while Khan’s character uses his other senses and physical skills to confront the threat despite his visual impairment. Saiyami Kher is seen as a police officer involved in investigating the case. Boman Irani and Shriya Pilgaonkar are also part of the principal cast.

The trailer also establishes a revenge-driven storyline and a series of killings, with the investigation gradually drawing the main characters into the same conflict. Rather than presenting Kumar and Khan as conventional hero and antagonist figures from the outset, the film appears to build much of its tension around what each character knows and how they try to outmanoeuvre the other.

That darker tone is a notable departure for Kumar and Khan, who have previously appeared together in films including Yeh Dillagi, Main Khiladi Tu Anari and Tashan. Their last film together was Tashan in 2008, making Haiwaan their first screen reunion in 18 years.

Is Haiwaan a remake of Oppam?

Yes — but there is an important qualification.

Haiwaan is based on Priyadarshan’s 2016 Malayalam thriller Oppam, which starred Mohanlal in the central role. Earlier reports described Haiwaan as the official Hindi remake of Oppam.

However, Priyadarshan has previously said that Haiwaan is not an exact copy of Oppam. In an August 2025 interview with Onmanorama, the director described the new film as being inspired by his Malayalam movie, while saying that changes had been made to the screenplay and dialogues. He also confirmed that Mohanlal would make a cameo appearance.

That distinction matters because the Hindi film retains the basic premise associated with Oppam while adapting the story and characters for a new cast and setting.

Saif Ali Khan takes the central role

Khan plays the visually impaired protagonist, a role originally portrayed by Mohanlal in Oppam. The trailer makes his character’s ability to perceive danger without sight a central part of the suspense.

Kumar, meanwhile, takes a rare negative role. Priyadarshan previously described his character as a psychologically disturbed villain, signalling a much darker screen image for the actor than the comic and heroic roles associated with several of his recent films.

The cast also includes Saiyami Kher, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Boman Irani, Sharib Hashmi, Rajesh Sharma, Rajpal Yadav and Asrani, among others.

When does Haiwaan release?

Haiwaan is set for a worldwide theatrical release on September 11, 2026. The release date was formally announced by KVN Productions in June.

The film is directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Venkat K. Narayana and Shailaja Desai Fenn under KVN Productions and Thespian Films.

The trailer arrives just over two weeks before the theatrical release, giving the makers a final promotional window to establish the film as a serious thriller rather than another comedy-driven Priyadarshan-Akshay Kumar collaboration.

The director and Kumar had previously worked together on the 2026 horror comedy Bhooth Bangla. Haiwaan takes their latest collaboration in a markedly different direction.

For Khan and Kumar, the film also carries the added interest of their long-awaited reunion. Their earlier collaborations largely came during the 1990s and 2000s, when the two actors appeared together in films such as Yeh Dillagi, Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Tu Chor Main Sipahi, Keemat, Aarzoo and Tashan.

With the trailer now released, the next major milestone is the film’s theatrical opening on September 11. The makers have not yet announced a streaming release date.