Boman Irani and Govardhan Asrani Sparkle: Boman Irani is dependable and personifies Judge Pradhan completely without any levity. He understands the emotional burden the role carries, and has every quality to fit into the movie's universe. Govardhan Asrani is also an actor who does justice to his role very well. His presence adds much-needed energy and fun to the story, maximising his screen presence beautifully.

Negative Points

Akshay Kumar is a Letdown: Akshay Kumar's character is among the most disheartening aspects of the film. The role of Parshuram Gokhale could have been that of a tremendous villain but the character fails to create the needed effect in such an important villain role. The most concerning is Akshay Kumar's acting, which lacks the necessary emotions and determination for a character driven by vengeance. The film makes an effort to evoke fear and anger in the audience, but Kumar's acting creates no significant threat. Given the actor’s ability to excel in intense parts, this definitely seems like a wasted chance.

A Basic Story Becomes Complex: Haiwaan suffers mostly from the weak screenplay. The premise itself is rather straightforward: a blind man needs to protect a young woman from a vengeful criminal. There is nothing wrong with the basic concept of a simple thriller. Simplicity is, on its own, capable of making a suspenseful movie successful. The only issue with Haiwaan is that it tries to stretch the plot, adding more and more complications while at the same time failing to build up enough suspense. Thus, the end product is a film that seems too long in the end. It is too obvious that some parts of the movie could have been shorter or made better.

Music and Direction: In addition to the screenplay, the film has one more flaw. The score does not enhance the drama of the film; rather, it interrupts the story. In any thriller movie, music should create suspense; however, in this film, the music chooses songs that do not add anything to the overall experience. Priyadarshan is known for the masterful combination of the humorous and the dramatic in his directing skills and is not successful in doing that in this case.

Also Read: Shaque Trust No One Trailer Review: Parineeti Chopra’s Emotional Fight Impresses, But The Plot Lacks Freshness

Final Verdict: Saif Ali Khan has done an excellent job and is certainly the biggest asset of the film. Boman Irani and Govardhan Asrani deliver their best performances too. But then, Akshay Kumar’s character is unimpressive. Also, the screenplay is unnecessarily lengthy; the songs are unimpressive too, and Priyadarshan's direction lacks flair. Overall, it can be said that the film will appeal to viewers who enjoy simple revenge thrillers, but it may be disappointing for those expecting the thrills and excitement of Oppam.