Opening day hinted at trouble
Akshay Kumar-Saif Ali Khan starrer Haiwaan opened at Rs 2.79 crore on day one, below the Rs 3-4 crore range that its casting, thriller genre, four-day Maharashtra weekend and Priyadarshan’s direction were expected to deliver.
Instead of building over the weekend, the film slipped immediately. Saturday brought Rs 2.13 crore and Sunday slowed further to Rs 1.58 crore, signalling weak word of mouth.
The weekday collapse
The first weekdays confirmed the trend. Collections fell to Rs 64 lakh on Monday, Rs 59 lakh on Tuesday, Rs 47 lakh on Wednesday and Rs 48 lakh on Thursday. The first week closed at Rs 8.68 crore.
- Day 1: Rs 2.79 crore
- Saturday: Rs 2.13 crore
- Sunday: Rs 1.58 crore
- Monday: Rs 64 lakh
- Tuesday: Rs 59 lakh
- Wednesday: Rs 47 lakh
- Thursday: Rs 48 lakh
Competition from Mirzapur The Movie and Hanuman Ansh likely added pressure, but the sharper issue is that the film never recovered from negative audience feedback.
A second Friday number that resets expectations
On its second Friday, September 18, Haiwaan collected Rs 66,838. That is a 98.62% drop from its first Thursday, effectively ending any chance of crossing the Rs 10 crore lifetime mark. Trade expectations had briefly held out for a second-week hold; the data now makes that scenario implausible.
For distribution and exhibition teams, a fall of this size is a demand signal. It suggests screenings are likely to be trimmed quickly, and that the film’s value has moved from theatrical box office to post-theatrical windows. For streaming and satellite buyers, the first-week curve and second-Friday crash will shape how the title is positioned: as a star-led film with weak discovery, rather than a movie that converts interest into repeat viewing.
The practical takeaway is to watch the weekend-to-weekday ratio early. A Saturday drop after an already underperforming Friday is often a better predictor than the opening number itself. Haiwaan showed that red flag on day two, and the second Friday made it unambiguous.
Source: bollywoodHungama.com
