The highly anticipated reunion of the iconic Main Khiladi Tu Anari duo, Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, has unfortunately failed to create magic at the ticket windows on its opening day. Haiwaan, directed by the legendary Priyadarshan, hit the theaters on Friday, September 11, 2026, but the thriller has recorded a highly underwhelming start, leaving trade analysts and fans disappointed.
Despite the massive pre-release hype surrounding Akshay Kumar’s return to a full-fledged negative role after 13 years, the film has succumbed to the monumental wave of existing box office giants.
Here is a detailed breakdown of Haiwaan’s Day 1 box office performance and what went wrong for the ₹80 crore thriller.
Day 1 Box Office Numbers: A Dismal Start
According to early trade reports from Sacnilk and The Times of India, the film collected a mere ₹3.00 crore net at the domestic box office on its first day.
The writing was already on the wall when the film registered an incredibly poor advance booking of just ₹1.03 crore before release. Morning shows opened to a dismal 8-10% occupancy across multiplexes. While there was a slight upward trend during the evening and night shows in metropolitan areas like Mumbai and Delhi-NCR, the overall footfalls remained drastically low for a film boasting two A-list Bollywood superstars.
For a movie reportedly made on a hefty budget of ₹80 crore, an opening of just ₹3 crore is a massive setback, putting immediate pressure on its weekend performance.
The Competition Smashes ‘Haiwaan’
The biggest factor contributing to Haiwaan‘s lackluster opening is the unstoppable momentum of two cinematic juggernauts currently dominating the Indian box office: Mirzapur: The Movie and Hanuman Ansh.
- Mirzapur: The Movie: The gritty gangster drama is operating as a mass-circuit monster, refusing to surrender its prime screens. The film is currently drawing in massive crowds in the Hindi heartland, entirely overshadowing Haiwaan in single-screen theaters.
- Hanuman Ansh: Even in its fifth week, the spiritual blockbuster starring Shobhit Srivastava is performing like a fresh release. Raking in ₹10 crore on its 35th day, Hanuman Ansh has retained the family audience, leaving very little room for a dark thriller like Haiwaan to breathe.
Caught between a mass-action spectacle and a devotional mega-hit, Haiwaan struggled to find its target demographic on Friday.
Can The Weekend Save The Khiladi?
With a ₹3 crore opening, the “Hit or Flop” verdict for Haiwaan now heavily relies on an extraordinary, almost miraculous jump on Saturday and Sunday.
While critics have praised the intense face-off between Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, as well as Priyadarshan’s signature directorial flair, the word-of-mouth needs to translate into immediate ticket sales. The film requires at least a 60-70% growth on Saturday to establish a respectable opening weekend total and survive the crucial Monday test.
Will the Khiladi’s villainous avatar pull audiences over the weekend, or is Haiwaan destined to be a box office casualty? All eyes are on the Saturday night footfalls!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the Day 1 box office collection of Haiwaan?
Haiwaan had a very slow start at the box office, collecting an estimated ₹3.00 crore net in India on its opening day.
Why did Haiwaan open to such low numbers?
The film’s low opening is primarily attributed to poor advance bookings and a direct clash with two massive ongoing blockbusters: Mirzapur: The Movie and the devotional hit Hanuman Ansh, which dominated screen counts and audience attention.
What is the budget of Akshay Kumar’s Haiwaan?
Directed by Priyadarshan, Haiwaan is reportedly made on a budget of ₹80 crore, making it crucial for the film to see a massive jump over the weekend to recover costs.
Are Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan in Haiwaan?
Yes, Haiwaan reunites Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan on the big screen after decades. The film is especially notable because Akshay Kumar is playing a full-fledged villain after a 13-year gap.
