The Vvaan REVIEW: Sidharth Malhotra, Tamannaah Bhatia’s Folklore Fantasy Delivers Chuckles, Thrill And Devotion

Film:
The Vvaan

Director: Deepak Kumar Mishra

Writer: Arunabh Kumar (Screenplay), Anandeshwar Dwivedi (Dialogues)

Cast: Sidharth Malhotra, Tamannaah Bhatia, Anup Soni, Sunil Grover, Shweta Tiwari and Maniesh Paul

Runtime: 136 Minutes (2 Hours, 16 Minutes)

Platform: In Theatres

The Vvaan Review

Sidharth Malhotra, Tamannaah Bhatia-led The Vvaan: Force Of The Forrest has finally released in theatres and it delivers what it promised – a sense of spirituality and devotion while also being a complete family drama that will make you chuckle.

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The Vvaan revolves around Rishi (Sidharth Malhotra) and what happens when he returns to his village after six years during the festival of Chhath Puja. Rishi is an architect who lives in Mumbai with his wife, Mamta (Tamannaah Bhatia). While the couple is happy, they fell complete without a child. Despite all their reports being clear, they have been unable to conceive for a long time.

In the village, Rishi’s elder brother and sister-in-law (played by Anuup Soni and Shweta Tiwari) urge the couple to come home for Chhath as they have something important to discuss – the sale of an anstrestral land. Rishi, who has been putting off returning to his hometown for years, finally agrees to go due to growing financial pressure and the need to opt for IVF to make his family whole. Along with the couple, Rishi’s friend, Ved (Maniesh Paul) also travel to the village for festival.

In the village, Rishi decides he wants to sell his share of the land for 5x the actual price for a highway to run through a sacred forest that no one is permitted to enter or be in once the sun sets. While the villagers oppose the proposed project, Rishi and Deepak (Sunil Grover) – an aspiring politician, remain adamant. This sets in motion a supernatural chain of events that unfortunately has more chills than thrills.

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Read our honest The Vvaan review before you book you tickets.

What Works

The pace of the film is good and keeps you hooked. The jokes and meta references will 100% make you chuckle. The introduction of the Vvaan devi and the history is interesting.

What Doesn’t Work

The editing is choppy. The second half is a rollercoaster with a mix of several ups and downs. The climax fails to gives goosebumps despite there being divinity present.

Technical Analysis

Story, Sceenplay & Dialogues

The story written by Arunabh Kumar may have been a thrilling fantasy film when it was conceptualised in 2024, not the watered down version of comedy, drama and tit-bits of devotions we are presented. The story – while trying to tell a lot (folklore, family drama, religious beliefs) does get a little distracted here and there, but still managers to deliver something that will stay with you even after the end credits roll.

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We know comedy and horror is a good combination, but that doesn’t mean that you use and re-use the same joke – an old lady being perceived as a vampire/daayan/betal time and time again – it gets boring. The dialogues penned by Anandeshwar Dwivedi do make you laugh, chuckle and use your brains to understand their references. That a positive and deserves a round of applause.

Direction

Deepak Kumar Mishra started strong but by the time the interval draws near you know you are likely to get a film that doesn’t live up to expectations. In the first half builds, Deepak manages to build curiosity, get the audience interested in knowing more about the devi, the heir of the King and the forces dwelling in the forest, but in the latter, everything gets mixed. However, he still managers to hold your attention till the climax fight commences.

VFX & Editing

The VFX is decent, nothing to clap about or shame for. The editing is all over the place. While the runtime is decent, reusing the same kind of jokes to just add to the narrative could have been chopped. But then that would also mean less laughter!’

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Music

The background score is good and help the audience dive deeper into the story of the Vvaan devi. The songs are good but seem to take away from the narrative at times. However, there are no complaints.

Star Cast

Sidharth Malhotra is okay but he could have been better. It’s like him playing any other character, there’s nothing new. He is the hero but that power seems missing. We wish Tamannaah – who is essentially the one who bring the emotions to the narrative, had more substance than just wanting to become a mother.

Anuup Soni and Shweta Tiwari are aces when it comes to acting and it shows. Their chemistry feels real. Sunil Grover as the antagonist was a smart casting choice and he 100% delivers. Maniesh Paul and Sulabha Arya’s comic timing is undoubtedly one of the best seen on the big screen in recent times.

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Conclusion

The Vvaan: Force Of The Forrest has genuine potential to capture the hearts of the audience with its fantasy horror folklore tale of a forest deity (Goddess) and Chhath Puja. While it seems like there is lots happening, the film still manages to hold your attention while making you laugh, get emotional and ever feel a little thrill. If you like horror or comedy or want to watch something that’s mainstream and devotional, book your The Vvaan tickets.

Watch the trailer of The Vvaan: Force Of The Forrest here:

Also Read: Don’t Be Shy REVIEW: Aarushi Bajaj, Piyush Khati, Bianca Arora & Ansh Duggal’s Performances Get Lost In A Bland & Predictable Storyline

Grinell Jacinto

With nearly 10 years of experience, Grinell Esther Jacinto is the Desk Head of Bollywood Bubble. Her interests lie in everything that is kaleshi and she loves to dig deeper into the lives of B-town actors. She has a problem though – she loves horror films but will have chills the minute the theatres lights dims. She’s previously worked with Koimoi, UrbanAsian and SpotboyE.