Sep 03, 2026 10:00pm IST
Priyadarshan on why ‘Haiwaan’ Presents a Different Side of Mumbai: ‘It’s Not What You See in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’’ (EXCLUSIVE)
When Priyadarshan began making “Haiwaan,” one of his priorities was to understand Mumbai and find a visual language for the city that felt different from its usual portrayal on screen. The filmmaker reveals that he travelled across the city to study its visuals and wanted to present a glossy, larger-than-life version of Bombay, drawing inspiration from how New York is often portrayed in cinema.
Priyadarshan says of Mumbai, “When I was making ‘Haiwaan,’ the first thing I wanted to do was understand the city. I moved around the city of Mumbai to understand the visuals. I wanted Mumbai to look like New York. I think I have succeeded in presenting a glossy version of the city.”
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Opening up about Mumbai’s portrayal in “Slumdog Millionaire,” the filmmaker comments, “I did it to show the BBC people what the city actually is. It is not what you show in “Slumdog Millionaire” because they always ridicule our country. This is how I wanted to answer back. I wanted to tell them, ‘Look at my country, it is better than London.’ That's the way I wanted to shoot this.”
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The filmmaker also wanted the film to have an engaging quality. “I believe I have succeeded in doing that visually. I also tried to make the film more gritty and watchable because the whole film is a cat-and-mouse chase. There is always a tension in the heart. I am sure I am sitting with something good,” he adds.
Directed by Priyadarshan, the film stars Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar in leading roles, alongside Boman Irani, Saiyami Kher and Shriya Pilgaonkar. It is Venkat K. Narayana, Shailaja Desai Fenn, Baker Ninan Fenn, Dhaval Jatania, Vipul Kamboj, and Pooja Shah under KVN Productions and Thespian Films.
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