‘Haiwaan’ Is A Remake Of ‘Oppam’: How Akshay Kumar’s South Remakes Fared At Box Office

Written By: Entertainment Desk

Sep 10, 2026 13:13 IST ⓘ

Revisting Akshay Kumar's South remakes ahead of 'Haiwaan' release.

Cinema loves a second life. A story crosses a language border, swaps its stars, picks up a new soundtrack and walks into a different market hoping the audience will embrace the familiar in a fresh form. When that alchemy works, the remake can stop feeling borrowed altogether. When it does not, the original becomes the uninvited guest at every review. Few Hindi-film stars know both sides of that bargain better than Akshay Kumar. His filmography contains remakes that became comedy scripture, mass entertainers that set cash registers ringing, respectable middle-runners and a few spectacular misfires.

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This history suddenly matters again because ‘Haiwaan’, his new South remake, reaches cinemas tomorrow (September 11). Director Priyadarshan’s ‘Haiwaan’ remakes his own 2016 Malayalam thriller ‘Oppam’, led by Mohanlal, with Samuthirakani and Anusree in key roles. The original cast Mohanlal as Jayaraman, a visually impaired man whose heightened senses pull him into a murder investigation and a desperate attempt to protect a young girl. Released on September 8, 2016, ‘Oppam’ became a major Malayalam success.

The Hindi film does not simply ask Akshay to retrace Mohanlal’s steps. Saif Ali Khan plays the visually impaired protagonist, while Akshay turns to the dark side as the ruthless antagonist. The thriller reunites Akshay and Saif after ‘Tashan’ and also features Boman Irani, Sharib Hashmi, Saiyami Kher and Shriya Pilgaonkar. Mohanlal has a cameo – a neat blessing from the man at the centre of the original – while producers Shailaja Desai Fenn and Satish Fenn have backed the film with KVN Productions. Its box-office chapter, naturally, is still blank. But Akshay’s earlier South remakes offer quite the report card.

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Akshay Kumar’s South Remakes: Theatrical Hits, Misses And Everything Between

1. Mr. & Mrs. Khiladi (1997)

The trail began with David Dhawan’s ‘Mr. & Mrs. Khiladi’, released on October 9, 1997. It remade the 1992 Telugu comedy ‘Aa Okkati Adakku’, starring Rajendra Prasad and Rambha; that film, in turn, drew from the Tamil comedy ‘Paaru Paaru Pattanam Paaru’. Akshay’s cheerfully work-shy Raja, Juhi Chawla’s Shalu and a supporting bench of Kader Khan, Satish Kaushik, Paresh Rawal and Gulshan Grover turned laziness into a full-contact sport. Box Office India’s figures put the Hindi film at Rs 16.75 crore worldwide (Rs 9.37 crore India net), with a semi-hit verdict.

2. Hera Pheri (2000)

Priyadarshan’s ‘Hera Pheri’, released on March 31, 2000, was a remake of the 1989 Malayalam comedy ‘Ramji Rao Speaking’, headlined by Saikumar, Mukesh and Innocent. In Hindi, Akshay’s Raju, Suniel Shetty’s Shyam and Paresh Rawal’s Baburao joined Tabu, Gulshan Grover and Asrani in a money mix-up that only grew funnier with age. Priyadarshan has since called it a frame-to-frame remake whose Malayalam dialogue was directly translated into Hindi, yet the performances gave it an identity strong enough to launch a franchise. Sacnilk recorded Rs 21.42 crore worldwide (Rs 12.35 crore India net). Its cultural afterlife, from memes to endlessly quoted dialogues, is much larger than that modest turn-of-the-century total suggests.

3. Meri Biwi Ka Jawaab Nahin (2004)

Pankaj Parashar’s ‘Meri Biwi Ka Jawaab Nahin’ was a remake of the 1992 Telugu film ‘Mondi Mogudu Penki Pellam’, led by Suman and Vijayashanti. The Hindi version paired Akshay with Sridevi, alongside Anupam Kher, Gulshan Grover, Johnny Lever, Kiran Kumar and Neena Gupta. There was one very large catch: it was shot in 1994, then sat unreleased for a decade before finally reaching cinemas on July 2, 2004. The time capsule arrived without the benefit of nostalgia and with a notoriously cobbled-together ending. Sacnilk listed only Rs 0.39 crore worldwide (Rs 0.26 crore India net) against a Rs 2.25 crore budget.

4. Insan (2005)

Released on January 14, 2005, K. Subash’s ‘Insan’ reworked Krishna Vamsi’s 2002 Telugu action drama ‘Khadgam’, whose ensemble included Srikanth, Ravi Teja, Prakash Raj, Sonali Bendre and Sangeetha. The Hindi version assigned its intersecting strands to Ajay Devgn, Akshay, Tusshar Kapoor, Esha Deol and Lara Dutta, with Rahul Dev as the terrorist antagonist. Akshay played Amjad, an autorickshaw driver searching for his missing brother – a role descended from the one Prakash Raj played in the original. Bollywood Hungama recorded Rs 10.02 crore worldwide (Rs 6.58 crore India net).

5. Garam Masala (2005)

Akshay and Priyadarshan had far better luck later that year. Released on November 2, ‘Garam Masala’ remade the director’s 1985 Malayalam comedy ‘Boeing Boeing’, starring Mohanlal and Mukesh. Akshay and John Abraham became squabbling photographers Mac and Sam, while Paresh Rawal, Rimi Sen, Neha Dhupia, Rajpal Yadav, Neetu Chandra, Daisy Bopanna and Nargis Bagheri crowded the farce with lies, fiancées and impeccably timed entrances. Sacnilk reported Rs 54.66 crore worldwide (Rs 29.02 crore India net). Akshay also won the Filmfare Award for Best Performance in a Comic Role.

6. Bhool Bhulaiyaa (2007)

Released on October 12, 2007, Priyadarshan’s ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa’ adapted the landmark 1993 Malayalam psychological thriller ‘Manichitrathazhu’, led by Mohanlal, Shobana and Suresh Gopi. The Hindi ensemble placed Akshay’s psychiatrist beside Vidya Balan, Shiney Ahuja, Ameesha Patel, Paresh Rawal and Rajpal Yadav. The smartest part of the remake was its tonal juggling: broad comedy at the door, psychological unease in the corridors and Vidya’s blazing Manjulika performance waiting inside. Sacnilk gave it Rs 82.35 crore worldwide (Rs 49.11 crore India net) and a superhit verdict. It also birthed a Hindi franchise, now being led by Kartik Aaryan.

7. Kambakkht Ishq (2009)

Sabbir Khan’s ‘Kambakkht Ishq’, released on July 3, 2009, remade the 2002 Tamil comedy ‘Pammal K. Sambandam’, starring Kamal Haasan and Simran. Akshay and Kareena Kapoor led the Hindi version, with Aftab Shivdasani, Amrita Arora, Jaaved Jaaferi and Kirron Kher – and Hollywood drop-ins Sylvester Stallone, Denise Richards, Brandon Routh and Whoopi Goldberg adding red-carpet glitter. Its battle-of-the-sexes plot travelled to Los Angeles and grew several sizes, although bigger packaging did not mean a bigger verdict. Sacnilk recorded Rs 85.55 crore worldwide (Rs 47.06 crore India net) and called it average.

8. Khatta Meetha (2010)

Priyadarshan returned to his Malayalam catalogue with ‘Khatta Meetha’, released on July 23, 2010. It remade his 1988 political satire ‘Vellanakalude Nadu’, starring Mohanlal and Shobana. Akshay played eternally struggling contractor Sachin Tichkule opposite Trisha, with Rajpal Yadav, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Johnny Lever, Manoj Joshi, Urvashi Sharma and a young Jaideep Ahlawat in the ensemble. The film’s slapstick first impression eventually gave way to a much angrier story about corruption and public works. Sacnilk placed it at Rs 62.80 crore worldwide (Rs 38.67 crore India net). Television and meme culture were kinder to it than its initial reviews, but theatrical business remained middle-of-the-road.

9. Housefull 2 (2012)

Sajid Khan’s ‘Housefull 2’, released on April 5, 2012, is widely documented as an uncredited Hindi remake of the 1998 Malayalam comedy ‘Mattupetti Machan’, whose ensemble was led by Mukesh, Baiju Santhosh and Jagathy Sreekumar. The Hindi film supersized the feuding-family and mistaken-identity engine with Akshay, John Abraham, Riteish Deshmukh, Shreyas Talpade, Asin, Jacqueline Fernandez, Zarine Khan, Shazahn Padamsee, Rishi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty and Boman Irani. Sacnilk reported Rs 188.40 crore worldwide (Rs 112 crore India net) and a superhit verdict.

10. Rowdy Rathore (2012)

If one title defines Akshay’s mass-remake phase, it is ‘Rowdy Rathore’. Prabhu Deva’s June 1, 2012 release remade S. S. Rajamouli’s 2006 Telugu blockbuster ‘Vikramarkudu’, led by Ravi Teja and Anushka Shetty. Akshay took on the double role of small-time thief Shiva and fearless cop Vikram Rathore, with Sonakshi Sinha, Nassar, Paresh Ganatra and Yashpal Sharma in key roles. The moustache, one-liners and maximalist action landed squarely with the audience. Sacnilk recorded Rs 198 crore worldwide (Rs 133.25 crore India net).

11. Boss (2013)

Anthony D’Souza’s ‘Boss’, released on October 16, 2013, remade the 2010 Malayalam action comedy ‘Pokkiri Raja’, starring Mammootty, Prithviraj Sukumaran and Shriya Saran. The Hindi version put Akshay in the title role and surrounded him with Mithun Chakraborty, Shiv Panditt, Aditi Rao Hydari, Ronit Roy, Johnny Lever and Danny Denzongpa; Amitabh Bachchan supplied the narration. The film came armed with swagger, festival timing and a very loud title track, but audiences did not promote this ‘Boss’. Sacnilk listed Rs 84.83 crore worldwide (Rs 54.33 crore India net) against a Rs 70 crore budget and gave it a flop verdict.

12. Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty (2014)

Released on June 6, 2014, A. R. Murugadoss’s ‘Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty’ was the Hindi version of his 2012 Tamil hit ‘Thuppakki’, led by Vijay, Kajal Aggarwal and Vidyut Jammwal. Akshay played the vacationing Army officer who discovers a sleeper-cell network, opposite Sonakshi Sinha; Freddy Daruwala, Sumeet Raghavan and a cameoing Govinda rounded out the major cast. Murugadoss retained the ticking-thriller design but fitted it comfortably around Akshay’s soldier-next-door image. Sacnilk reported Rs 178.40 crore worldwide (Rs 112.53 crore India net) and a superhit verdict.

13. Gabbar Is Back (2015)

Krish’s ‘Gabbar Is Back’, released on May 1, 2015, remade A. R. Murugadoss’s 2002 Tamil vigilante drama ‘Ramanaa’, led by Vijayakanth, with Ashima Bhalla and Simran. Akshay became the anti-corruption vigilante Aditya, while Shruti Haasan, Suman Talwar, Sunil Grover and Jaideep Ahlawat filled key roles; Kareena Kapoor appeared in flashbacks. The remake gave “Gabbar” a moral makeover and audiences responded far better than corrupt officials did. Bollywood Hungama’s tracker gave Rs 139.41 crore worldwide (Rs 87.55 crore India net), making it a hit.

14. Laxmii (2020)

Raghava Lawrence remade his own 2011 Tamil horror comedy ‘Kanchana’ – starring Lawrence, R. Sarathkumar, Raai Laxmi and Kovai Sarala – as Laxmii. The Hindi version featured Akshay and Kiara Advani, with Sharad Kelkar, Ayesha Raza Mishra, Rajesh Sharma and Ashwini Kalsekar, and premiered on Disney+ Hotstar in India on November 9, 2020, during the pandemic. Hotstar said it delivered the platform’s biggest movie opening at the time. However, the film received terrible critic reviews.

15. Bachchhan Paandey (2022)

Farhad Samji’s ‘Bachchhan Paandey’, released on March 18, 2022, officially remade Karthik Subbaraj’s inventive 2014 Tamil gangster film ‘Jigarthanda’, starring Siddharth, Bobby Simha and Lakshmi Menon. Akshay played the fearsome gangster observed by Kriti Sanon’s aspiring filmmaker, with Arshad Warsi, Jacqueline Fernandez, Pankaj Tripathi, Prateik Babbar and Sanjay Mishra adding serious comic muscle. The remake replaced much of the original’s sly genre mischief with louder star-driven spectacle – and then ran into the extraordinary box-office wave of ‘The Kashmir Files’. Bollywood Hungama recorded Rs 73.17 crore worldwide (Rs 49.98 crore India net). Against its scale and cost, the result was a clear flop.

16. Cuttputlli (2022)

The same year brought a second direct-to-streaming remake. Ranjit M. Tewari’s ‘Cuttputlli’ adapted Ram Kumar’s acclaimed 2018 Tamil serial-killer thriller ‘Ratsasan’, led by Vishnu Vishal and Amala Paul. Akshay played a police officer hunting a schoolgirl murderer, with Rakul Preet Singh, Sargun Mehta and Chandrachur Singh in the principal cast. It premiered on Disney+ Hotstar on September 2, 2022, rather than in Indian cinemas.

17. Selfiee (2023)

Raj Mehta’s ‘Selfiee’, released on February 24, 2023, remade the 2019 Malayalam comedy-drama ‘Driving Licence’, powered by Prithviraj Sukumaran and Suraj Venjaramoodu. Akshay played superstar Vijay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi the motor-vehicle inspector whose admiration curdles into a public feud; Nushrratt Bharuccha and Diana Penty co-starred. The star-versus-fan premise was timely and the central casting clever, but ticket buyers largely stayed out of the argument. Sacnilk recorded Rs 24.60 crore worldwide (Rs 17.03 crore India net) and a disaster verdict.

18. Sarfira (2024)

Sudha Kongara directed both the 2020 Tamil original ‘Soorarai Pottru’ – starring Suriya, Aparna Balamurali and Paresh Rawal – and its Hindi remake ‘Sarfira’, released on July 12, 2024. Akshay stepped into the underdog-aviation story opposite Radhika Madan, with Paresh Rawal returning to his antagonist’s role, Seema Biswas in support and Suriya appearing briefly. The film received more affection from many reviewers than from the opening-weekend crowd. Sacnilk gave it Rs 33.91 crore worldwide (Rs 24.85 crore India net). The collection against its reported cost made it a commercial failure.

The Grey-Area Files: Borrowed Plots, Partial Adaptations

1. Bhagam Bhag (2006)

Priyadarshan’s ‘Bhagam Bhag’, released on December 22, 2006, adapted certain subplots from the 1995 Malayalam comedy-thriller ‘Mannar Mathai Speaking’, starring Innocent, Mukesh, Saikumar and Vani Viswanath. It was not a straight remake of the full film. Akshay, Govinda, Paresh Rawal, Lara Dutta, Jackie Shroff, Arbaaz Khan and Rajpal Yadav populated the Hindi chase. Sacnilk recorded Rs 67.83 crore worldwide (Rs 40.25 crore India net) and a hit verdict.

2. De Dana Dan (2009)

Released on November 27, 2009, Priyadarshan’s ‘De Dana Dan’ was primarily a partial adaptation of the 2000 Hollywood comedy ‘Screwed’, while also taking some scenes from his 2004 Malayalam film ‘Vettam’, led by Dileep and Bhavna Pani. That makes it South-connected, not a full South remake. Akshay reunited with Suniel Shetty and Paresh Rawal, joined by Katrina Kaif, Sameera Reddy, Neha Dhupia, Rajpal Yadav and a hotel full of chaos. Sacnilk listed Rs 81.90 crore worldwide (Rs 48.08 crore India net) and an average verdict.

3. Housefull (2010)

Sajid Khan’s ‘Housefull’, released on April 30, 2010, has long been described as loosely or unofficially based on the 1998 Tamil comedy ‘Kaathala Kaathala’, starring Kamal Haasan, Prabhu, Rambha and Soundarya. The Hindi film built its own glossy ensemble around Akshay, Riteish Deshmukh, Arjun Rampal, Deepika Padukone, Lara Dutta, Jiah Khan, Boman Irani and Chunky Panday. The family-and-identity confusion proved enormously saleable: Sacnilk recorded Rs 119 crore worldwide (Rs 75.65 crore India net) and a superhit verdict.