Haiwaan trailer: Akshay Kumar plays a psychopath killer hunting blind Saif Ali Khan in bloody, intense thriller

Haiwaan is the Hindi remake of Priyadarshan's 2016 Malayalam film Oppam. The film is set to release in theatres on September 11.

Akshay Kumar is taking a much darker turn with Haiwaan, and the trailer gives a clear glimpse of just how sinister his character is. Directed by Priyadarshan, the action thriller reunites Kumar and Saif Ali Khan after 17 years, with the two actors on opposite sides of a dangerous cat-and-mouse game. After the teaser sparked curiosity last week, the trailer now introduces Saif as a visually impaired man who is forced to face a ruthless Akshay, who seems determined to hunt him down.

Haiwaan trailer: Akshay Kumar turns ruthless villain, takes on blind Saif Ali Khan.

The trailer sets up a dangerous chase

The 2-minute-34-second trailer sets up an eerie mood, with a growing sense of fear spreading across the city as a mysterious killer appears to be targeting people. Saif Ali Khan’s character is shown visibly shaken as the situation around him spirals out of control. Things take a darker turn when the police arrest him, with the trailer showing him as a blind man caught in the middle of the mystery.

The story takes a tense turn when a blind lift man, who seems to be a single father, witnesses a murder by a dangerous criminal. Believing that the man cannot identify him, the killer assumes he is safe. But Saif's character's sharp hearing, sense of smell and ability to recognise people by their voices help him piece together what happened.

Akshay Kumar steps into one of his darkest avatars yet, going head to head with Saif Ali Khan, who takes on the challenging role of a blind man. Adding further intrigue to the chase are Boman Irani as a judge and Saiyami Kher as a cop, alongside Shriya Pilgaonkar and Sharib Hashmi in pivotal roles. The trailer leaves you with one question, when they finally come face to face who will emerge victorious?

Akshay Kumar goes completely evil

Akshay Kumar is playing a character with little room for sympathy in Haiwaan. Unlike the morally complicated villains often seen on screen, his character is described as someone who is simply evil. The actor has also spoken about his interest in exploring this side of his acting.

Speaking to HT City earlier this month, Akshay 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. 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.”

Priyadarshan, who has worked with Akshay in popular films including Hera Pheri and Bhool Bhulaiyaa, also revealed that the actor's look came together in an unexpected way. He added, “His character’s raw look has been designed keeping the same in mind. Talking to us, Akshay says, “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. 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.”

A remake

Haiwaan is the Hindi remake of Priyadarshan's 2016 Malayalam film Oppam, which starred Mohanlal in the lead. In this version, Saif plays a visually impaired martial artist who finds himself protecting a young girl while being pursued by a dangerous psychopath, played by Akshay.

The film also features Boman Irani, Saiyami Kher, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Rajpal Yadav and Sharib Hashmi in important roles.

Akshay and Saif reunite after 17 years

Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan are sharing the screen again after 17 years, with Tashan in 2008 being their last film together. The two have earlier worked together in films including Main Khiladi Tu Anari and Yeh Dillagi (1994), Tu Chor Main Sipahi (1996) and Keemat (1998).

Produced by Venkat K Narayana and Shailaja Desai Fenn under KVN Productions and Thespian Films, Haiwaan is set to release in theatres on September 11.