Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan’s first big-screen reunion since Tashan (2008) has ended its opening week with a weak scorecard. Haiwaan, a Priyadarshan-directed psychological action thriller, added an estimated ₹55 lakh net on day seven across 2,839 shows, bringing its domestic net total to ₹9.85 crore.
The film is a Hindi remake of the Malayalam film Oppam, and the adaptation has struggled to convert the original’s appeal. Critical and audience reception has been negative, with particular criticism aimed at the climax.
Opening-week numbers
- Day 7 net collection: ₹55 lakh across 2,839 shows
- Domestic net total: ₹9.85 crore
- Domestic gross total: ₹11.76 crore
- Overseas gross total: ₹3.35 crore
- Worldwide gross: ₹15.11 crore
On day seven, the per-show average was roughly ₹1,900. The first-week average is about ₹1.41 crore net per day, but day seven came in well below that level at ₹55 lakh, so the curve is already bending downward.
For media planners and distribution teams, the per-show average is the leading indicator. It points to weak occupancy even on a trimmed show count, which usually accelerates screen loss in the second week. The small overseas gross is another signal: ₹3.35 crore for a film with two recognisable leads suggests international audiences were not activated at scale.
Competition is compounding the problem
The film is also facing a strong holdover in Hanuman Ansh. On its 42nd day, that film earned ₹6.25 crore, taking its net total to ₹243.38 crore. When a smaller film earns ₹6.25 crore in a single day in its seventh week, newer wide releases struggle to hold premium screens.
That matters because weekend two is when exhibitors decide whether to retain shows. A weak first week plus a strong holdover means Haiwaan will likely see a meaningful show-count reduction, which caps its recoverable theatrical revenue.
What this means for the value chain
For streaming, satellite and digital buyers, the film’s theatrical performance weakens its negotiating position. Weak box office does not erase a title’s value, but it shifts it from a premium first-window acquisition toward a catalogue or library negotiation. For stakeholders, the actionable signal is to revisit post-theatrical release timing and marketing guarantees if the second-week trend does not improve.
For exhibitors, the rational next step is to reallocate capacity toward Hanuman Ansh and other holdovers. For producers, that limits the upside from any second-week promotional push, because the cost of retaining screens may not be recovered at the current run-rate.
This is also a reminder that star reunions and familiar remakes are not automatic demand generators. The Hindi remake of Oppam has not given distributors a reason to hold screens; instead, the data suggest a short theatrical run and an earlier-than-planned ancillary window.
Source: Republic World
