The thought of a powerful cinematic face-off between Priyadarshan-directed Akshay Kumar and the Saif Ali Khan, based on the gutsy Malayalam film Oppam on paper, appears to be an exciting cinematic duel. However, Haiwaan goes awry from the very beginning, having to rely on star power and the high-production mechanism to carry the film to the finish.
The story revolves around Shyam (Saif Ali Khan), a dysfunctional blind maintenance manager at a posh Mumbai housing complex with family expenses to meet. His life intertwines with that of a retired Judge (Boman Irani), who is haunted by his history with the shrewd Parshuram (Akshay Kumar). When Parshuram lays siege on the judge, a game of cat-and-mouse ensues with a blind man as the shield and the sword.
The Hits: Powerful Performances and Staged Sparks
When the film gets to its core battle though, it is worth the wait. The chemistry between Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar is palpable each time they go head to head on screen. Saif provides the substance by playing a credible disable man who fills the big shoes of the avatar with a lot of grit in action scenes and fights.
Akshay Kumar is a natural as imposing Parshuram where he relies on his dark silence rather than his words but at times overplays his lines.
Technically speaking, the Pakistanythief-turned-director Divakar Mani, who makes his debut here has adapted to the daunting task of creating an ominous mood with some striking silhouette shots, and a spine-chilling background score by Ronnie Raphael.
The Misses
Sadly those flashes of brilliance are stifled under a sluggish, wandering screenplay.
Co-scripted by Priyadarshan, Abilash Nair and Rohan Shankar, the film has a sluggish first hour that makes it a trial to follow characters’ motivations or links. The duration is dragged down by too many subplots left hanging, and a sweep of forgettable and intrusive songs by Pritam that cut through any momentum built up.
Important structural gaps- for instance, Shyam’s mind-bogglingly flexible hours of free time despite his lowly job, or Parshuram’s incompetently-told riches- undermine the story’s internal believability. Though there are nice moments that induce applause here and there (such as a notable police station scene near the end), the film is weak precisely at the climax: the concluding showdown. The big finish, intended to elicit a sensation-of-edge-of-seat experience, falls flat as a pancake.
VERDICT
Haiwaan has all the makings of an edge-of-the-seat thriller, but suffocates in a mess of its own making. With sincere and invested performances by Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar, the film loses its grip due to inconsistent and haphazard pacing, a listless musical score and a botched-up climax. Its debutante inspiration is a lush, disappointing miss.
I rate this movie 2.5 out of 5
