The first weekend has not exactly set the box office on fire for Haiwaan. The Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar-led action thriller has earned Rs 7.35 crore nett in India in its first three days, according to the latest Sacnilk update. After a modest opening, the Priyadarshan directorial saw its collections dip on Sunday.

Haiwaan opened at Rs 3 crore on Friday. The film did show some growth on Saturday, bringing in Rs 2.50 crore. However, that momentum did not last. Sunday saw the film collect Rs 1.85 crore nett, a 26 per cent drop from the previous day.

With this, Haiwaan’s India gross stands at Rs 8.80 crore, while its nett collection is Rs 7.35 crore. The film recorded these numbers across 4,374 shows on Day 3.

The film has done slightly better overseas. It collected Rs 0.75 crore on Sunday, taking its overseas gross to Rs 2.75 crore. Its worldwide gross collection now stands at Rs 11.55 crore after three days.

At the centre of Haiwaan is Shyam, played by Saif Ali Khan, a blind caretaker who finds himself accused of murdering retired Judge Pradhan. Things take a darker turn when Parshuram, played by Akshay Kumar, sets out on a revenge-driven hunt for Pradhan’s daughter, Nandini. Shyam soon finds himself running from the police while also trying to protect her. His journey leads to a secret about Nandini that changes the stakes.

The 2-hour, 45-minute film is the Hindi remake of the Malayalam thriller Oppam. It has received a U/A certificate from the CBFC and also stars Boman Irani, Shriya Pilgaonkar and Saiyami Kher in key roles. Malayalam superstar Mohanlal makes a cameo in the film.

The film also marks the reunion of Saif and Akshay after 2008’s Tashan, which also starred Kareena Kapoor Khan and Anil Kapoor. This time, however, the two actors find themselves on opposite sides of a tense action thriller.

Priyadarshan, who directed both Haiwaan and the original Oppam, had earlier spoken about the challenge of remaking South Indian films for Hindi audiences. Speaking to PTI, he said he did not want Haiwaan to simply look like a dubbed or copied version of the Malayalam film. Instead, he wanted to change its visual style and adapt it for North Indian audiences.

With the Monday numbers set to determine whether the thriller can hold its ground during the week, the Akshay-Saif reunion has plenty left to prove.

Source: India Today