Priyadarshan on ‘Haiwaan’: “This Thriller Marks the Start of a New Chapter in My Filmmaking Journey”

After years of crafting iconic comedy blockbusters, National Award-winning director Priyadarshan is returning to his roots in serious cinema with Haiwaan, a dark thriller he describes as a pivotal turning point in his career. Having entered Hindi cinema with acclaimed dramas like Gardish and Virasat, the master filmmaker shares how his trajectory unexpectedly shifted towards comedy after the monumental success of Hera Pheri.

Speaking about his decision to make Haiwaan, Priyadarshan said, “Haiwaan is the beginning of a new chapter for me, I started with serious films like Gardish, Virasat, but after Hera Pheri, I was pulled into this track of comedy films, I need a break so I thought of this film and I was very confident that this kind of a film will be very well accepted today because what I found very interesting is the reason behind of success of Bhoot Bangla, there were so many films which are too serious like Dhurandhar, Border 2, and Bhoot Bangla came as a sudden relief, because people like to watch different kinds of movies at different times, so now I feel that people have been continuously watching a lot of comedy oriented films so I think a thriller has a scope.”

Starring Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan alongside Boman Irani, Saiyami Kher, Shriya Pilgaonkar and an ensemble cast, Haiwaan promises a dark and atmospheric thriller we can’t wait to watch in theatres next week.

Directed by Priyadarshan, Haiwaan is produced under KVN Productions and Thespian Films by Venkat K. Narayana and Shailaja Desai Fenn. The film releases worldwide in Cinemas on 11th September 2026.

By Keerti Kadam