Director Priyadarshan has made it clear that he does not plan to team up with Akshay Kumar for serious cinema going forward. His comments come after the underwhelming box office run of ‘Haiwaan’, the crime thriller starring Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, which opened to just Rs 3 crore net on September 11 and ended its theatrical run with Rs 9.92 crore net in India. According to Priyadarshan, audiences are clearly not interested in seeing the duo venture beyond comedy.

Priyadarshan on why audiences reject their non-comedy films

In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, Priyadarshan said, “The failure of Haiwaan, which I accept gracefully, proves again that audiences don’t like us to do serious subjects together. This is not the first time I’ve failed in a non-comedy genre with Akshay. Many years ago, we did a film called Khatta Meetha, which starred Trisha Krishnan with Akshay. That too had underperformed. I don’t think the audience wants to see us in the non-comedic space.”

‘Haiwaan’ box office numbers

Made on a reported budget of Rs 130 crore, ‘Haiwaan’ is an official remake of the 2016 Malayalam thriller ‘Oppam’. The film opened to Rs 3 crore net in India on Day 1, with Hindi occupancy at just 11 to 12 percent, and went on to collect Rs 7.35 crore net by the end of its opening weekend. Its theatrical run had essentially wrapped up by Day 9, with the film collecting Rs 9.92 crore net domestically. Its worldwide closing gross stood at Rs 15.05 crore, less than 12 percent of its reported budget.As per Sacnilk, ‘Haiwaan’ now ranks among Akshay Kumar’s weakest performers at the box office in recent years, with the actor last witnessing a similar level of performance in 2006 with ‘Family: Ties of Blood’, which earned Rs 8.59 crore net. For Saif Ali Khan, who played the antagonist in the film, this marks one of the lowest openings of his career in a lead or co-lead capacity.

Priyadarshan and Akshay Kumar’s comedy hits over the years

On the other hand, Priyadarshan and Akshay Kumar’s comedy outings tell an entirely different story, one that plays out like a highlight reel of Hindi popular cinema. From ‘Hera Pheri’, ‘Garam Masala’ and ‘Bhagam Bhag’ to ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ and ‘De Dana Dan’, their collaborations in the genre have delivered major commercial successes.Their most recent collaboration in the comedy space, ‘Bhooth Bangla’, has continued that association this year, further highlighting the audience response to the filmmaker and actor when they return to their familiar comic territory.