Haiwaan OTT Release: Where to Watch It on SonyLIV Now
Skipped Priyadarshan’s thriller in theatres? Most of India did. The Haiwaan OTT release has finally landed, and Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar’s crime thriller now sits on SonyLIV. No multiplex ticket needed for a film one critic called a copy-paste remake.
So here’s the quick answer first. Then the bit that matters more: should you press play at all, or is the Malayalam original a better use of your evening?
Haiwaan OTT Release: Streaming on SonyLIV Now
Haiwaan has been streaming on SonyLIV since Friday, November 6, 2026. TelecomTalk’s weekly OTT roundup on November 7 listed it as a SonyLIV release for the weekend, top of its headline.
One honest caveat. We couldn’t find an official announcement from SonyLIV or the makers. As late as November 3 to 5, outlets like M9 and FlickOnClick still called November 6 a “reported” date. Search the title in the SonyLIV app before you plan a movie night around it.
The cheat sheet, as of November 12:
- Platform: SonyLIV
- Streaming since: November 6, 2026
- In theatres from: September 11, 2026 (the Ganesh Chaturthi window)
- Director: Priyadarshan
- Remake of: Oppam (2016, Malayalam, starring Mohanlal)
That puts the Haiwaan OTT release almost exactly eight weeks after the theatrical one.
Why SonyLIV and not Netflix or Prime Video? Money, yaar. Back in March, reports said Sony Pictures Networks India bought the film’s satellite, digital and music rights for about Rs 80 crore. Sony was reportedly the highest bidder, and the deal covered over 70% of the film’s investment.
How to Watch Haiwaan on SonyLIV
Nothing complicated here:
- Open the SonyLIV app or website.
- Search “Haiwaan”.
- Check whether your current plan covers it.
We haven’t verified SonyLIV’s current pricing, so look at the plans page before you pay. Haiwaan is a Hindi film, so if you follow Hindi, you won’t need subtitles.
Still deciding which subscription deserves your money this month? Our Netflix vs Prime Video vs JioHotstar breakdown does the maths. If you’re weighing SonyLIV for its Korean shows too, read Netflix vs SonyLIV for K-drama fans.
Haiwaan vs Oppam: What Changed in the Remake
The skeleton stays the same. Saif plays Shyam, a blind lift operator who gets dragged into a murder investigation. Now he has to protect a little girl. Akshay plays the antagonist, with Boman Irani, Shriya Pilgaonkar and Saiyami Kher in the supporting cast.
What changed is how the story treats you, the viewer.
- The villain shows up on day one. Haiwaan reveals the villain’s identity at the start. The Week’s review argues this throws away the mystery that built tension in Oppam. That’s the biggest problem, and the reason the critic called it “a copy-paste remake lacking the magic of the original.”
- Gloss over grit. Gulf News found Haiwaan “more polished and sanitised” than Oppam, and said it loses some of the original’s grit. Even Saif’s wardrobe looks too luxe for the role.
- Comic relief. Asrani plays Hussain. The Week felt he lacks Mammukkoya’s comic timing, though a few jokes land better than in the original.
- Dated ideas. The Week also flagged the Kerala-shot locations and old-fashioned dowry themes as feeling a decade behind.
Saif and Akshay: who works?
Critics can’t agree on Saif. Gulf News praised his stillness and physical acting as a blind man who’s also a martial arts trainer and musician. The songs and dance bits, though? Out of place. The Week simply found him unconvincing.
Akshay gets an easier ride on the physical side. Gulf News liked his menace but called the role one-note, with a backstory that never lands. The Week went harder and called his act forced.
Here for Mohanlal thrillers in general? Our Drishyam 3 ending explained is a far better rabbit hole.
Paisa Vasool Ya Time Waste? Our Verdict
The scorecards aren’t kind. The Week gave Haiwaan 1.5/5. Gulf News gave it 2/5, but with a twist: the first half crawls, the second half gets much stronger, and the climax plays to the fans.
Our call on the Haiwaan OTT release: time pass, not paisa vasool. If SonyLIV is already in your plan, that late surge makes it a decent lazy-Sunday watch. Buying a subscription only for this? Don’t.
Watch Haiwaan if:
- You’ve never seen Oppam, so the story still feels fresh.
- You already pay for SonyLIV.
- You can sit through a slow first half for a payoff.
Watch Oppam instead if:
- You want an actual mystery, not a thriller that shows you the villain upfront.
- You prefer raw and messy over glossy.
Why Haiwaan Flopped in Theatres
The numbers explain why streaming matters so much here. As of September 29, Sacnilk tracked Rs 15.08 crore worldwide gross after 19 days. That splits into Rs 11.83 crore India gross and Rs 3.25 crore overseas, with an India net of Rs 9.92 crore.
Pinkvilla reported on September 30 that the film wrapped at about Rs 9 crore nett in India. It called Haiwaan one of the lowest grossers for an A-list film in recent times. The blame went to average word of mouth, weak promotion, limited genre appeal and the remake backlash. Pinkvilla also reported that Priyadarshan won’t make another non-comedy with Akshay.
Now do the maths. The Sony rights deal reportedly fetched almost nine times what Haiwaan netted in Indian cinemas. Box office flop, sure. Financial disaster? Not quite. To see how far off the pace that is, check our list of the highest-grossing Bollywood movies of 2026 so far.
Where to Watch Oppam Right Now
As of November 9, JustWatch India lists Oppam on JioHotstar, free with ads. It shows the JioHotstar subscription at Rs 149 a month if you’d rather skip the ads. A few other sites mention Prime Video, but those listings carry no date, so check the app first.
Honestly, start there. Watch Oppam first, the way the story was meant to hit you, with the villain still hidden. Then decide if you really need the glossier Hindi cover version. Our guess? One viewing of the original will do.