Haiwaan‘s first hour is disjointed and random. Too many characters and subplots are introduced and one wonders where the film is heading and what exactly is the point. Three songs are forced into the narrative, which makes the goings-on tedious. The interval block raises some hopes but it all goes downhill in the second half. A few scenes and moments stand out and save the day. The climax is unintentionally funny. The plot is promising; however, since Priyadarshan‘s direction is shockingly shoddy, the film ultimately fails to entice. Akshay Kumar is great and the way he lets his silence do the talking is impressive. However, his dialogue delivery is a bit over-the-top. Saif Ali Khan has the maximum screen time and entertains with his blind act and also action. Boman Irani and Saiyami Kher are dependable. Shriya Pilgaonkar is fair but is let down by the writing. Sharib Hashmi and Rajpal Yadav do well, but most of their jokes don’t land as intended. All in all, Haiwaan is disappointing.
My rating – ** out of 5!