Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan are reuniting for Priyadarshan’s Haiwaan. The shoot has been completed, and recently the filmmaker offered an exciting update on its release timeline. The duo, who are also
collaborating on Bhooth Bangla, recently spoke about how they are planning their release schedule.
During a recent conversation with Screen, Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan were asked about the release of Haiwaan. Priyadarshan responded, “It will release around 90 days of this film (Bhooth Bangla).” Adding to that, Akshay Kumar said, “somewhere in August…”
Akshay ‘Asked’ To Be Cast In Haiwaan
Speaking exclusively to News18, Priyadarshan reveals that it was, in fact, Akshay, who requested for a part in the film during the shoot of Bhooth Bangla. “He asked me what I’m doing next. I told him that I’m working on a film but I’m not able to find the villain. I needed someone very good for the part. When I told him about the film, he asked me if he could do it. He came on-board that easily and quickly,” he says. “I was shocked! There was no detailed discussion that happened. I never narrate my films to Akshay. I tell him the story and about his character and the others in a gist. He always asks me, ‘Are you excited?’ If I tell him that I’m excited, he won’t be very happy. If I tell him that I’m very excited, only then will he tell me, ‘Let’s do the film, sir,'” he adds.
About the film
Produced by KVN Production and Thespian Films, Haiwaan is backed by Venkat K Narayana and Shailaja Desai Fenn. The film is the Hindi remake of Priyadarshan’s 2016 Malayalam hit Oppam, which starred Mohanlal in the lead role.
Adding to the excitement, Mohanlal will also appear in a special cameo in the Hindi version. Priyadarshan had earlier shared a picture from the sets featuring Saif Ali Khan and Mohanlal. Alongside the photo, he wrote, “Look at life and the way it turns… Here I am, on the shooting sets of HAIWAN, working with the son of one of my biggest cricket heroes and my favourite film icon. Truly, God is kind.”
The filmmaker was referring to Saif’s father, the late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, one of India’s most celebrated cricketers, and to Mohanlal, whom he has often described as his favourite actor.
In Oppam, Mohanlal played a visually impaired man who witnesses a murder and must protect a child from a relentless killer. Saif Ali Khan takes on the same role in Haiwaan. Priyadarshan has also confirmed Mohanlal’s presence in the film during an earlier interview. He said, “If you’re asking me about Haiwaan, Mohanlal is in that film. However, what character he plays, I don’t want to say right now. See, every time I make a movie, it is the story that excites me. I never think about actors.”
