Now Reading: Haiwaan trailer gets mixed reviews, remake tag a concern
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Haiwaan trailer gets mixed reviews, remake tag a concern
The trailer of Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan's upcoming film Haiwaan has been released. While trade experts say the trailer is better than the teaser and builds curiosity, concerns remain over the film's…
The trailer of Akshay Kumar and Priyadarshan's upcoming film Haiwaan has been released. While trade experts say the trailer is better than the teaser and builds curiosity, concerns remain over the film's box office prospects. Haiwaan is a remake of Priyadarshan's own 2016 Malayalam film Oppam, and the Hindi dubbed version is already available on YouTube, which could hurt ticket sales.
Akshay's recent films have struggled at the box office. His announcement of a new project, the alien action thriller Samuk, just before Haiwaan's trailer release has also been criticised as a wrong strategy that could dilute audience focus. With less than two weeks until release, the makers have limited time to build pre-release buzz for the film, which also stars Saif Ali Khan.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Remakes of recent or easily accessible originals have a poor track record in Hindi cinema post-pandemic, with films like Shehzada and Mission Majnu failing to recover costs. Oppam won several Kerala State Film Awards and remains a celebrated thriller, raising the bar for audience expectations. The film's box office fate will depend on whether Priyadarshan's adaptation introduces enough narrative or technical novelty to justify a theatrical watch. The opening weekend, starting about two weeks from now, will be the first clear indicator of audience acceptance.
Akshay Kumar has had nine theatrical releases since 2023, only two crossed Rs 100 crore domestically, and the rest were commercial disappointments. Haiwaan needs a strong first-weekend occupancy, ideally above 40 percent in national multiplexes, to signal a turnaround. The makers' promotional push in the final fortnight will be critical to achieving that.
Source: m9.news
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
