Priyadarshan's Hindi remake of Oppam is struggling to convert Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan's combined pull into weekend growth, with trackers disagreeing on just how bad the slide is.
Two days in, and Haiwaan can't shake the sense that it opened weak and is only getting weaker.
The film, Priyadarshan's Hindi remake of his own 2016 Malayalam hit Oppam, hit screens on September 11 with Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan sharing top billing. By Saturday it was clear the weekend wasn't going to rescue it. Trade trackers can't even agree on the exact damage, but the direction is the same everywhere: down.
According to Sacnilk figures cited by The Free Press Journal, Haiwaan collected a net Rs 2.50 crore on Day 2 across 5,759 shows, a 16.7% drop from its Rs 3 crore opening day. That puts the two-day India net at Rs 5.50 crore, with gross collections at Rs 6.60 crore domestically. Add Rs 1 crore from overseas on Day 2 and the worldwide gross touches Rs 8.60 crore, per that report.
Pinkvilla's numbers tell a slightly rougher story. It puts Day 2 net at Rs 2.25 crore, with the two-day cume at Rs 4.75 crore nett, lower across the board than the Sacnilk-sourced figures. Both outlets agree on the broader picture though: growth over the weekend, the thing every distributor prays for, simply hasn't shown up. Pinkvilla estimates the opening weekend will close somewhere between Rs 7.50 and 8 crore nett, which for a film carrying two big names and an established director is not the number anyone signed up for.
What went wrong
Haiwaan has picked up mixed-to-negative word-of-mouth since release, and that appears to be dragging on ticket sales more than any scheduling clash. The Free Press Journal's own review landed at three stars, calling it watchable for anyone who hasn't seen Oppam but offering little beyond a recast of familiar beats for those who have. Akshay's role, per that review, is a small one, which may be softening the pull for his regular audience.
The budget hasn't been confirmed by the makers, but trade estimates put it in the Rs 100-115 crore range, a number that makes flat Day 2 collections look considerably more painful.
Pinkvilla's analysis also frames this within a wider pattern for Akshay Kumar, who's had a mixed 2026 at the box office, a hit with Bhooth Bangla, a decent run with Welcome to the Jungle that couldn't quite sustain, and now a low-key entry with Haiwaan that the outlet suggests carries no real expectations to begin with.
What happens next depends almost entirely on whether Sunday brings any bump at all. If the two-day cume really is sitting closer to Rs 4.75 crore than Rs 5.50 crore, Haiwaan may need a lot more than word-of-mouth to clear its cost. The first full week's numbers, once studios and trackers settle on one version of the truth, will tell the real story.
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