Haiwaan Producer Reveals Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan’s Massive CSMT Shoot With 500 Extras and Rain Machines

The upcoming Haiwaan movie is already generating curiosity with its thriller premise and the pairing of Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan. But according to producer Shailaja Desai Fenn, getting the film on screen involved some remarkably demanding shooting conditions. One sequence in particular brought together two major stars, 500 extras and rain machines at some of South Mumbai’s busiest locations.

With Haiwaan scheduled to release on September 11, the producer has now opened up about the scale of the production, working with Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, and why audiences should not expect the film to be a thriller alone.

Haiwaan Is More Than Just a Thriller

While the trailer has positioned Haiwaan as an intriguing thriller, Shailaja Desai Fenn believes the film has a much broader appeal.

She explained that the movie carries the signature elements associated with director Priyadarshan, including emotion and humour. Because of that combination, she described Haiwaan as a film that can work as a family entertainer while still delivering its thriller elements.

This mix could make the film particularly interesting for viewers who enjoy suspense but also want emotion and humour in the overall experience.

How Shailaja Desai Fenn Joined Haiwaan

The producer's journey with Haiwaan began through an earlier professional association with Priyadarshan.

Shailaja Desai Fenn and her husband, Satish Fenn, have been involved in the entertainment industry for more than two decades. She began her career as a talent manager and continues to run that business, while the couple also works in advertising film production.

Their move into feature film production eventually brought them together with Priyadarshan.

In 2024, they were working on a Kalyan Jewellers advertisement directed by Priyadarshan. During that association, they learned about his interest in making Haiwaan and joined him in putting the project together. KVN Productions later came on board as the studio, followed by Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan.

The production team also has another Malayalam film, Balan: The Boy, to its credit, which was released earlier this year.

Why Boman Irani Was an Easy Choice

Another familiar name associated with Haiwaan is Boman Irani, whom Shailaja has managed since 2005.

Rather than needing a long discussion to convince him, she jokingly told him that he had to play her in the film. Boman immediately agreed.

For Shailaja, the decision was especially natural because of their long professional association. She described him as family, making his involvement in Haiwaan a particularly personal casting choice.

Akshay Kumar Brings Complete Commitment

Working with Akshay Kumar was another major part of the production experience.

Shailaja praised the actor's professionalism and commitment, highlighting his punctuality and focused approach to his work. According to her, Akshay knows exactly what he needs to do when he joins a project and gives his full effort.

That commitment became especially important because some of the film's locations were difficult to access.

Despite those challenges, the producer said the experience of working with both Akshay and Saif was wonderful, with the actors standing by the production and giving their best.

Saif Ali Khan Takes On a Challenging Role

Saif Ali Khan brings another distinctive element to Haiwaan because he plays a blind man, a role he has not portrayed before.

Shailaja pointed to the amount of preparation that went into the performance, describing it as phenomenal. The role therefore represents a different challenge for the actor within the film's thriller setup.

His preparation, combined with the demanding locations used for filming, became an important part of the production process.

The CSMT and Churchgate Shoot Was Quite a Sight

Perhaps the most striking production detail came from a sequence filmed around CSMT and Churchgate in South Mumbai.

Both locations are known for being extremely busy, making a large-scale film shoot particularly difficult to manage. Yet the production went ahead with 500 extras, rain machines, Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan all involved in the sequence.

Shailaja recalled the scene simply as being “quite a sight.”

The scale of that shoot gives audiences an idea of the practical challenges involved in bringing Haiwaan to the screen. Coordinating hundreds of extras, artificial rain and two leading actors in crowded Mumbai locations would have required considerable planning and execution.

Why This Matters

The behind-the-scenes details make Haiwaan more intriguing because they show that the film's production was not limited to controlled studio environments.

The combination of major Mumbai locations, hundreds of extras and rain machines suggests that the filmmakers were willing to take on difficult shooting conditions to execute the sequences they wanted.

At the same time, Shailaja's comments about emotion and humour indicate that the movie is designed to offer more than suspense. The involvement of Priyadarshan, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan and Boman Irani gives the project a strong combination of established talent.

Producer Shailaja Desai Fenn Is Giving Her 500 Percent

When asked about box-office expectations, Shailaja was realistic about the unpredictable nature of a film's theatrical performance.

She acknowledged that every producer wants their movie to succeed but said that the team can only control the effort they put into making the film. For her, that means giving Haiwaan her “500%.”

What happens after the film reaches audiences, she said, is ultimately beyond her control.

She also addressed the broader issue of production budgets and actor entourages. Her view was that every film has different financial limitations and everyone involved needs to work within what the project can afford.

Haiwaan Heads Toward Its September 11 Release

With its thriller foundation, emotional and humorous elements, and the pairing of Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, Haiwaan is shaping up as an ambitious project for its producers.

The revelations about the CSMT and Churchgate sequence add another layer of curiosity, particularly because the filmmakers managed a shoot involving 500 extras and rain machines in busy Mumbai locations.

As Haiwaan arrives on September 11, audiences will finally get to see how those challenging production efforts translate onto the screen. For now, the scale of the shoot and the producer's comments suggest that there is considerably more to this film than its thriller label alone.