Saiyami Kher says Haiwaan could be a landmark film for Saif Ali Khan

Actor Saiyami Kher, who will be seen alongside Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan in Priyadarshan’s upcoming film Haiwaan, believes the project could turn out to be a landmark film in Saif’s career. The actor spoke exclsusively to India Today about watching Akshay and Saif reunite after years, Akshay’s advice to her about navigating the film industry, and the lively atmosphere on set.Speaking about what drew her to Haiwaan, Saiyami said the scale and combination of people involved made the film particularly exciting for her.“The work I’ve done so far has not been as mainstream as Haiwaan is. And then there’s the combination. Very honestly, not just as someone who is part of the film, but even as a viewer, to see Saif sir and Akshay sir together again after 17 years, with Priyadarshan sir helming it all, is very exciting. Everything just came together beautifully. I’m very excited to be a part of it,” she said.Saiyami also recalled that one of the earliest advertisements she worked on during her modelling days featured Saif Ali Khan. “With Saif sir, the second advertisement I ever did was with him. It was for an eyewear company back when I was modelling. So working with him on this film felt like life coming full circle,” she said.Calling Saif “one of the funniest human beings”, Saiyami added, “You simply cannot sit around him and not laugh. I don’t even know whether he intends to be funny, but whatever he says is hilarious.” The actor, however, was particularly excited about Saif’s work in Haiwaan. “We’ve all seen Omkara, and we know the kind of work he has done over so many years. But I genuinely feel this is going to be a film people remember. There are certain landmark films in an actor’s career, and I feel this could be that film for Saif sir,” Saiyami said.She highlighted that Akshay Kumar, too, would be seen doing something audiences have not seen from him in a long time.“Akshay sir is doing something very different, something he hasn’t done in many years. And the kind of energy he brings to a set is unlike anything I’ve experienced before,” the actor said.Saiyami revealed that she had known Akshay before working with him on Haiwaan, thanks to their shared love for cricket."I had met Akshay sir a couple of years ago because I’ve played cricket with him. All my connections somehow always come back to cricket! We used to play together, and obviously he knew that I was doing films. He told me that the mantra he has followed in this industry is, 'You’ll get work from work'." she added.According to Saiyami, Akshay has continued to reiterate that advice over the years.“Even a week ago, I bumped into him at the airport while I was working on another film, and he said, ‘Just keep working.’ That is something Anurag has told me as well,” she said.Saiyami explained that waiting indefinitely for the perfect lead role could often mean losing valuable time and experience.“If you sit at home thinking, ‘I’m going to wait for that one big film where I have the central part, and everything revolves around me,’ you could end up waiting for one year, two years or even three years. Instead, keep working because you improve with every project you do. You learn from the people you meet, the experiences you have, the actors you work with, and the technicians you work with,” she added.The actor continued, “So, one, you keep bettering yourself. And two, you never know what one project might open up for you. Your heart should be in what you’re doing, you should genuinely like it, and then you just keep going.”Saiyami emphasised that Akshay practises the same philosophy himself, adding, “He is somebody who is constantly busy and working. He really does practise what he says — he just keeps going non-stop.”Saiyami also spoke about Akshay’s famously disciplined approach to work. "He is extremely punctual, which is wonderful because punctuality isn’t exactly a virtue the Hindi film industry is known for! But he changes that entirely. When Akshay sir is on set, you know you’re going to start on time and wrap on time,” she said.For Saiyami, one of the highlights of the shoot was watching Akshay and Saif together off camera. “We were shooting in Kochi and outside Mumbai, so it almost felt like this big picnic. There was always cricket, games, and something happening. With Akshay sir around, there has to be a game. Whenever we weren’t filming, there was constantly something going on — games, conversations and pranks. Lots of pranks,” she added.“Watching the two of them together felt like seeing two really good friends reunite after a very long time. They would remember stories from 20 years ago, joke about them and laugh together. It was really lovely to witness,” the actor concluded.Haiwaan, directed by Priyadarshan, brings Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan together again after nearly two decades and also features Saiyami Kher in a key role.- EndsPublished By: Anurag BohraPublished On: Sep 7, 2026 19:46 IST