Haiwaan: Akshay Kumar’s Look From Horror Thriller Goes Viral

The digital world is in a frenzy following the leaked first look of Akshay Kumar from his upcoming high-octane thriller, Haiwaan. Directed by veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan, the film marks a historic reunion of the Main Khiladi Tu Anari duo—Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan—after a gap of 17 years.

The Leaked Look: A Rugged Transformation

The viral image showcases Akshay in a starkly different avatar than his recent heroic roles.

• The Aesthetic: Sporting a thick, salt-and-pepper beard and a fierce, intense gaze, Akshay appears in a rugged “villainous” look that has fans drawing parallels to his iconic performance in Ajnabee (2001).
• The Role: Akshay has confirmed he is playing the primary antagonist. “I felt like doing a negative role, hence I am doing it… The Haiwaan (beast) loses in the end, but the journey has pushed me,” the actor recently stated.
• The History: This marks his first full-fledged negative role in 18 years, since 2008’s Tashan.

A Multilingual Crossover: Mohanlal Joins the Cast

Adding to the film’s massive scale, Priyadarshan confirmed that Malayalam legend Mohanlal will make a special cameo.

• The Original Connection: Haiwaan is the official Hindi adaptation of the 2016 Malayalam blockbuster Oppam, where Mohanlal played the lead.
• The Set Photo: Priyadarshan shared an emotional post on Instagram featuring himself with Saif Ali Khan and Mohanlal. 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 Plot: A High-Stakes Chase

While Oppam followed a visually impaired lift operator (played by Mohanlal) who witnesses a murder, Haiwaan reportedly shifts the setting to the dense streets of Mumbai.

• Saif Ali Khan’s Role: Saif takes on the challenging role of the visually impaired protagonist who possesses a heightened sense of hearing and smell.
• Action Spectacle: The team recently wrapped an ambitious five-night chase sequence across Churchgate, CSMT, and BKC, involving over 100 junior artists and 40 vehicles.

Priyadarshan’s Double Delight in 2026

The filmmaker is set for a major Bollywood comeback in 2026 with two massive Akshay Kumar projects: