The much-awaited Haiwaan trailer is finally here, and Priyadarshan is once again stepping into the thriller space with a story built around fear, revenge and a dangerous cat-and-mouse chase. The film brings together Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan after 18 years, making their reunion one of the biggest talking points even before the trailer arrived. But this isn’t the kind of reunion where both actors are simply playing their usual characters. Akshay goes into a much darker space, while Saif plays a visually impaired man who finds himself caught in the middle of a terrifying mystery.
Haiwaan Trailer

The 2-minute-34-second trailer immediately creates an eerie atmosphere. Something is clearly wrong in the city. Families are being killed. The police are struggling to understand what is happening. And somewhere in the middle of this chaos is Saif’s character, who appears to know more than he is willing to reveal. The trailer doesn’t take long to establish that this is going to be a battle of minds, instincts and survival.
The trailer opens by establishing Akshay Kumar’s character as a dangerous and vengeful psychopath. He is responsible for killing seven families within a year, leaving the police desperate to identify and capture him. There is a sense of fear spreading through the city, but the killer remains several steps ahead.
Akshay’s look immediately grabs attention. This is not the familiar Akshay Kumar we have seen in many of his recent commercial outings. There is darkness in his eyes. His body language is cold. He looks like a man who has nothing left to lose. The trailer doesn’t reveal everything about his past or his motive. Instead, it slowly builds the mystery around him. Revenge appears to be at the centre of the story, but the real reason behind his actions remains hidden.
Then comes Saif Ali Khan. His character is blind, but that doesn’t make him helpless. In fact, the trailer makes his abilities one of the most interesting aspects of the film. His hearing is extremely sharp. His sense of smell helps him identify things around him. He can recognise people through their voices. These abilities become crucial when he accidentally finds himself connected to a murder. The trailer shows Saif moving through dark corridors and unfamiliar spaces, trying to understand the danger around him. He is visibly shaken, but there is also a sense that he is slowly putting the pieces together.
At one point, standing beside a fog-covered vehicle on a deserted road, Saif says, “Maybe someone is following us… the sound of the exact same jeep is heard again and again.” That line perfectly captures the paranoia surrounding his character.
Akshay Kumar’s Darkest Avatar Yet?

Akshay Kumar has played grey and negative characters before, but his avatar in Haiwaan looks particularly disturbing. The trailer introduces him as a man driven by vengeance. There is no sympathy in his actions. He doesn’t appear interested in escaping his past. Instead, he seems determined to make others pay for it.
The most interesting part is that Akshay’s character doesn’t feel like a conventional villain. There appears to be a story behind his hatred, and the trailer keeps teasing that backstory without giving it away. His presence becomes even more effective because of the contrast with Saif’s character. One man operates through violence and fear. The other has to rely on his senses to survive and uncover the truth. That sets up a fascinating confrontation.
Saif Ali Khan’s Blind Character Adds The Real Intrigue

While Akshay gets the darker avatar, Saif’s role could be the real surprise package. Playing a blind man in a thriller is not easy. The character cannot depend on visual information, which completely changes how suspense can be created. The trailer uses this limitation intelligently. Sounds become clues. Voices become identities. Smells become evidence.
Saif’s character also appears to be a single father, which gives the story an emotional layer beyond the central mystery. He isn’t simply trying to catch a killer. He is also dealing with his own fears and demons while trying to protect the people around him. The trailer keeps asking an important question. How much can a visually impaired man actually discover when the person he is looking for is always one step ahead? That is where the film’s central tension seems to lie.
The Mystery Gets Darker

Saiyami Kher plays a police officer and is among the characters trying to solve the mysterious killings. She lays out the scale of the horror with the line, “Seven accidents occurred in the past year… everyone was killed along with their families.”
The word “accidents” itself raises questions. Were these really accidents, or were they carefully planned murders?
The trailer then cuts through several disturbing images. A victim struggles for breath. An officer lies slumped over a blood-soaked steering wheel. A woman screams in a rain-soaked driveway. The violence isn’t shown merely for shock value. It is used to create an atmosphere of constant danger.
Rajesh Sharma’s character also adds another layer to the mystery when he says, “This fear… they have created it inside your minds just to confuse all of us.”
That line makes the situation even more intriguing. Is the killer creating fear as part of a larger plan? Or is the police investigation itself being manipulated? The trailer deliberately doesn’t answer those questions.
Akshay And Saif Reunite After 18 Years
The reunion of Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan is a major reason to look forward to Haiwaan. The two actors last shared the screen in Tashan in 2008. Their earlier collaborations include Main Khiladi Tu Anari, Yeh Dillagi, Tu Chor Main Sipahi and Keemat.
After 18 years, seeing them together again is naturally exciting. But this time, their equation is completely different. They aren’t friends or partners. They are on opposite sides of a dangerous game.
The trailer wisely keeps their face-off under wraps. We see Akshay watching from the shadows and Saif trying to understand the threat surrounding him. But the moment when these two finally come face to face could become one of the film’s biggest highlights. And that is exactly where the trailer leaves us. Who will win when the hunter finally meets the man who has been trying to uncover him?
Watch Haiwaan Trailer:
Apart from Akshay and Saif, the film features a strong ensemble cast. Boman Irani plays a judge, while Saiyami Kher appears as a police officer. Shriya Pilgaonkar, Sharib Hashmi, Rajesh Sharma, Rajpal Yadav, Pahal Chaudhary and Manoj Joshi also feature in pivotal roles.
The trailer doesn’t give everyone an equal amount of screen time, but the supporting cast helps build the larger world around the central mystery. Boman Irani’s presence, in particular, adds credibility to the investigative side of the story, while Saiyami Kher appears to be closely involved in trying to understand the pattern behind the killings.
Can Haiwaan Deliver The Thriller Punch?

The trailer certainly creates curiosity. The biggest strength is its central premise. A dangerous killer on one side. A visually impaired man with heightened senses on the other. Between them is a mystery involving multiple families, revenge and a growing sense of fear.
The trailer is also cut stylishly. It doesn’t reveal the entire story, which is important for a thriller. There are enough clues to understand the basic conflict, but several questions remain unanswered.
The only challenge is that Haiwaan is the official remake of the acclaimed 2016 Malayalam thriller Oppam, which starred Mohanlal. For audiences familiar with the original, the real test will be whether Priyadarshan can bring something fresh to this adaptation. For viewers discovering the story for the first time, however, the trailer has enough mystery to pull them in.
Final Thoughts
Haiwaan has a promising setup. Akshay Kumar gets one of his darkest roles, while Saif Ali Khan takes on a challenging character who must use his heightened senses to survive and uncover the truth. Their contrasting performances are the biggest attraction of the trailer. Haiwaan is directed by Priyadarshan and is scheduled to release in theatres on September 11.
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