Vvaan Movie Review: Chhathi Maiya Brings Emotion, But the Film Struggles to Find Its Story

Vvaan Had the Ingredients, But Not the Screenplay

The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest, starring Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia, arrives with an interesting premise rooted in Bihar's folklore, faith, the forest and the idea of a supernatural force connected to nature. Directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra, the film attempts to combine mythology, fantasy, horror, romance, comedy and social commentary.

The problem is that almost none of these elements receive the focused writing they deserve.

The film has a genuinely promising core, particularly when it explores Chhath Puja and Chhathi Maiya. Those portions bring a sense of cultural authenticity and emotional warmth that the rest of the movie repeatedly struggles to achieve. Unfortunately, instead of building the entire narrative around this powerful cultural and spiritual foundation, Vvaan keeps moving into different genres and tones.

The result is a film that feels considerably less effective than the idea behind it.

The Chhathi Maiya Portion Is the Film's Strongest Element

The most effective sections of Vvaan are the sequences involving Chhath Puja and Chhathi Maiya.

These moments have atmosphere, cultural detail and emotional purpose. The rituals don't simply function as decoration; they provide some of the few scenes where the film feels connected to the world it is trying to create.

Several published reviews have similarly noted that the Chhath sequences provide some of the film's strongest regional flavour and emotional texture.

For a film built around Indian folklore, this is precisely the direction that could have made Vvaan distinctive.

Instead, these portions are surrounded by a screenplay that keeps changing direction.

The Biggest Problem Is the Writing

The central weakness of Vvaan is its screenplay.

The film wants to be a folk-horror story, a fantasy adventure, a supernatural thriller, a relationship drama and occasionally a comedy. Rather than allowing these elements to organically complement one another, the screenplay frequently jumps between them.

This makes the story feel stretched and unfocused.

Rishi, played by Sidharth Malhotra, begins as a rational, city-bred man who becomes involved with the mysterious forest and its folklore. Tamannaah Bhatia plays Mamta, his wife, whose faith and connection with Chhathi Maiya become important to the narrative. The basic conflict could have provided a strong emotional foundation, particularly through the contrast between rationality and faith.

But the relationship between the characters isn't explored deeply enough.

The Romance Feels Unnecessary

One of the frustrating aspects of Vvaan is that the emotional relationship between the central characters never becomes as convincing as it should.

The film has opportunities to make Rishi and Mamta's relationship meaningful, especially through their personal struggles and faith. Instead, the romantic component often feels like something the screenplay is required to include rather than something the story genuinely needs.

For a film so heavily dependent on mythology and folklore, the focus could have been much more firmly placed on the legend, the forest, faith and Chhathi Maiya.

That would have given Vvaan a stronger identity.

The Forest Never Becomes as Mysterious as It Should

The title promises a story where the forest itself is almost a character.

There are moments when the film creates an interesting atmosphere, and the visual treatment of the forest has been noted positively in reviews.

But the screenplay doesn't extract enough suspense from the setting.

A mysterious forest, an ancient belief system and a supernatural presence should naturally create tension. Instead, the film repeatedly explains or redirects its mystery rather than allowing the audience to discover it gradually.

That takes away much of the potential fear.

Performances Cannot Rescue the Uneven Story

Sidharth Malhotra gives the film a sincere performance, while Tamannaah Bhatia brings conviction to Mamta's devotional and emotional scenes.

Tamannaah particularly benefits from the Chhath-related portions because they give her character an emotional purpose beyond the supernatural plot.

Sunil Grover, Anup Soni, Shweta Tiwari and Maniesh Paul are part of the supporting cast, but the screenplay doesn't consistently give them enough material to elevate the narrative. Reviews have also pointed to the supporting characters being restricted by the writing.

The problem, therefore, isn't simply acting. The bigger issue is that the characters are trapped inside an inconsistent screenplay.

Too Many Ideas, Too Little Impact

This is where Vvaan ultimately loses its way.

The film has enough material for a memorable Indian folklore-based fantasy:

• Bihar's cultural setting

• Chhath Puja

• Chhathi Maiya

• Van Devi and forest folklore

• Faith versus rationality

• Human exploitation of nature

• A supernatural mystery

• A troubled couple at the centre

But instead of developing these ideas carefully, the film tries to accommodate too much.

The Federal similarly noted that the movie takes on fantasy, mystery, folklore and action without successfully bringing all of them together.

The result is neither a truly frightening horror film nor a deeply moving devotional drama nor a satisfying fantasy adventure.

The VFX and Visual World Are Better Than the Narrative

Visually, Vvaan has ambition.

The forest environment, supernatural imagery and mystical elements occasionally create an interesting cinematic world. The visual effects have moments that work, although their execution isn't consistently convincing.

But impressive visuals cannot compensate for a weak narrative structure.

A fantasy film ultimately needs viewers to believe in the world and care about what happens inside it. When the screenplay keeps losing focus, even the larger visual moments begin to feel disconnected.

The Celebrity Hour Take

Vvaan is frustrating precisely because there is a good film somewhere inside it.

The Chhathi Maiya and Chhath Puja portions show what the movie could have been: culturally rooted, emotional and distinctly Indian.

Instead of treating that material as one component of a crowded supernatural entertainer, the film could have made it the emotional and thematic centre of the story.

The biggest missed opportunity is therefore not the concept. It is the execution.

The film tries to say too many things at once and consequently fails to make any one idea powerful enough. The romance doesn't add enough emotional weight, the humour frequently interrupts the atmosphere, and the supernatural storyline doesn't develop the tension required from a folklore thriller.

For The Celebrity Hour, the verdict is straightforward: the Chhathi Maiya portions are the film's saving grace, but they aren't enough to compensate for the screenplay's larger problems.

Vvaan isn't completely devoid of good ideas. It is a film with a promising cultural foundation that deserved a much sharper, more focused screenplay.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5)

Watch it for: Chhathi Maiya and Chhath Puja sequences, the cultural setting and a few visual moments.

Skip it if: You are expecting a tightly written folklore thriller with strong horror, romance and emotional depth.

Sources & Verification

This review is an independent editorial assessment by The Celebrity Hour, informed by the film's publicly available premise, cast and release information and cross-checked against multiple published reviews. The critical assessment above is The Celebrity Hour's own opinion, rather than a reproduction of another review. Published reviews independently noted the film's folklore premise, Chhath-related sequences and problems with its uneven or crowded screenplay.