Priyadarshan breaks silence on Haiwaan's dud at the box office

Priyadarshan. Pic via Instagram

Director Priyadarshan recently broke his silence on the poor box-office performance of his latest film, Haiwaan. The veteran filmmaker shared that the film starring Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan may have faced a disappointing fate at the box office, but it has not left him disillusioned.

Priyadarshan on Haiwaan's box office failure

Notably, the thriller, which marked the reunion of Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan after 17 years, was released on September 11, 2026. The film had an underwhelming theatrical run. While talking to Hindustan Times, the director reacted to its performance saying, "I have seen enough hits and flops in a career of 48 years and 98 films. I still survived, it's part of the game."

The filmmaker added that the setback of Haiwaan has only reinforced his belief that Hindi audiences largely associate him with comedy, especially after his cult-classic Hera Pheri (2000). "I have made so many serious films such as Kaalapani (1996), Kanchivaram (2008) and Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea (2021). I have also made political films in the South, and they were huge hits," he shared.

He further pointed out that his Hindi filmography began far away from comedy as well. "I started with Gardish (1993) and Virasat (1997), which were hits, but after Hera Pheri people expect me to make humour-oriented films," he said. For the filmmaker, that expectation of the audience has now become a practical consideration. He added, "If that's the demand, why should I experiment with other kinds of films? I will play for the gallery and try meaningful movies in the South."

Haiwaan box office report

As per Sacnilk reports, Haiwaan recorded an India gross collection of Rs 11.83 crore. Meanwhile, the film's net collection in India stands at Rs 9.92 crore. The Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan starrer has also earned Rs 3.25 crore from overseas markets, which further took its worldwide gross earnings to Rs 15.08 crore.

However, the film's overall theatrical performance remained underwhelming despite its star-studded cast and Priyadarshan's direction. Along with Akshay and Saif, the film also starred Shriya Pilgaonkar, Saiyami Kher, Boman Irani, Rajpal Yadav, Sharib Hashmi, Rajesh Sharma, Asrani and Mohanlal in a special cameo.