‘He is greedy’: Priyadarshan on directing Saif Ali Khan in Haiwaan for first time, says he asks a lot of questions

Filmmaker Priyadarshan discussed his collaboration with Saif Ali Khan in Haiwaan, appreciating his commitment and how he gave him some confidence.

Filmmaker Priyadarshan collaborated with Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan for the first time in Haiwaan. In a recent interview with Pinkvilla, the filmmaker opened up about his experience working with Saif, describing him as a 'greedy but obedient' actor and revealing how the actor developed a certain level of confidence in him.

Priyadarshan opens up about directing Saif Ali Khan in Haiwaan.

Priyadarshan on directing Saif Ali Khan in Haiwaan

Calling Saif a "mature child", Priyadarshan said, "He has a lot of questions every time, and of course every actor has the right but the question; the moment it is answered, he just obeys you. After two days, I found that there was no question, so I asked him in the morning, ‘Any questions?’ He said, ‘No sir, now I know what you want to shoot.’ So that actually builds our confidence with each other, and that is the way it went on. Saif is too committed."

He further shared a habit of Saif's that he described as "difficult" to find among actors today, reading books between shots instead of being glued to his phone. Priyadarshan added that Saif is a voracious reader with an impressive knowledge of the world around him.

Priyadarshan added, “I could discuss a lot of things with him because I am a huge Pataudi Nawab fan, so I spent a lot of time with him. He also gifted me a nice book with an autograph of Pataudi, so I really enjoyed being with him. I found him a very obedient actor, a little greedy but a very obedient actor, so that is the best part about him. I think he developed a certain kind of confidence in me, which really helped me to take the film forward in a very smooth way.”

About Haiwaan

The teaser of the film revealed that Saif plays the role of a visually impaired man. He is seen walking with a stick and wearing a special watch for the visually impaired. The teaser also showed Akshay Kumar's character walking menacingly before letting out a sinister laugh. Haiwaan also features an ensemble cast including Boman Irani, Saiyami Kher and Shriya Pilgaonkar in pivotal roles.

Produced by Venkat K. Narayana and Shailaja Desai Fenn under KVN Productions and Thespian Films, the film marks Akshay and Saif's reunion after 18 years. The two were last seen together in the 2008 film Tashan. Priyadarshan previously revealed that Haiwaan is a remake of the Malayalam film Oppam, although several changes have been made to the dialogues and screenplay. He has also teased Mohanlal's cameo in the film. Haiwaan is scheduled to release in theatres on September 11, 2026.