Veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan, who has given Malayalam, Hindi, and Tamil film hits, has finally confirmed that Malayalam superstar Mohanlal will be appearing in his next Hindi release Haiwaan. In an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla, Priyadarshan informed that Mohanlal has a special cameo role in the thriller starring Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan.
While his fans have waited years to see Akshay and Mohanlal share screen space in a proper capacity, Priyadarshan clarified that he doesn’t make films based on star couples. “The story comes first for me. I don’t even consider actors until I have a script,” he insisted. “Mohanlal is in Haiwaan, but I’m not saying what role he’s doing yet.”
The director emphasized that casting follows storytelling. “You can’t start a movie thinking, ‘I want these two stars together.’ You’ll never get the right script that way. First comes the idea, then the actors,” he added.
Haiwaan is a Hindi adaptation of Mohanlal’s award-winning 2016 Malayalam thriller Oppam. It is produced by Thespian Films and KVN Productions and features Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan together again after years in an exciting storyline. The supporting cast includes Samuthirakani, Saiyami Kher, Shreya Pilgaonkar, Asrani, and Icelandic actor Einar Haraldsson.
The film will be released in theaters in 2026 and has already caused a huge stir thanks to its compelling storyline and strong cast.
For Akshay Kumar, Haiwaan follows after his comeback with Jolly LLB 3, and Saif was last seen in Jewel Thief, the thriller. Mohanlal, who was recently spotted with his Onam release Hridayapoorvam, now joins his very long list of releases with a cameo that’s sure to be one of the biggest attractions.
Also Read: Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan: The Unbeatable Duo Returns in Haiwaan
Priyadarshan also made an announcement that he’s teaming up with Akshay again for a horror-comedy titled Bhooth Bangla
