Overview
- Haiwaan premiered in theatres on September 11 and registered a subdued opening day, with trade trackers reporting around Rs. 2–3 crore net in India and overall occupancy near low double digits.
- Advance bookings were weak, with Sacnilk recording roughly 14,000–15,000 tickets sold for opening day and advance gross figures reported at about Rs. 36.10 lakh without blocked seats and about Rs. 1.37 crore including blocked seats.
- Early critical and audience reaction is divided: many reviewers and viewers praise Saif Ali Khan’s and Akshay Kumar’s performances, the cinematography, and Ronnie Raphael’s score, while others fault the screenplay for predictability, pacing issues, and forced twists.
- Box‑office observers say Haiwaan’s short‑term prospects hinge on strong weekend word‑of‑mouth and late‑day walk‑ins, because the film is facing heavy competition from Mirzapur: The Movie and Hanuman Ansh that are drawing large audiences.
- Haiwaan is Priyadarshan’s Hindi remake of his 2016 Malayalam film Oppam and includes a Mohanlal cameo, with industry reports noting non‑theatrical rights have eased some risk but theatrical recovery will require sustained audience interest.