# Priyadarshan calls Akshay ‘psycho’ villain, Saif ‘transparent’ in Haiwaan 2026-08-18T17:15:04+00:00 | Entertainment | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Director Priyadarshan has described Saif Ali Khan as a 'transparent' actor and Akshay Kumar as a 'psycho' villain in his upcoming thriller 'Haiwaan'. The film, which releases on September 11, 2026, is Priyadarshan's eighth collaboration with Akshay Kumar and his first with Saif Ali Khan. In an interview with Mid-Day, Priyadarshan said Saif Ali Khan plays a blind man in the film and slipped into the role effortlessly without any formal training. The director recalled telling Saif to keep his eyes open without blinking and think he cannot see. Priyadarshan praised Saif's inquisitive nature, comparing him to his granddaughter for asking questions constantly. He added that Akshay Kumar's character is not grey but a 'psycho' villain, and that the actor trusted him completely, never asking any questions. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The Times of India's coverage is a neutral-report, straight news piece that faithfully reproduces Priyadarshan's promotional interview. There is no critical framing, no alternative perspective, and no analysis of the film's production or market context. The article simply relays the director's quotes about both actors' approaches. A careful reader should note that this is standard pre-release publicity. The only concrete fact beyond the quotes is the release date: September 11, 2026. ## Coverage Coverage: 1 source, 1 neutral - timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report) Straight reproduction of director's promotional interview without analysis This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Akshay Kumar, Haiwaan, Priyadarshan, Saif Ali Khan Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/priyadarshan-calls-akshay-psycho-villain-saif-transparent-in-haiwaan/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/priyadarshan-calls-akshay-psycho-villain-saif-transparent-in-haiwaan/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/