The Vvaan: Force of the Forest promises a thundershower and delivers a drizzle.
At its core, the film is yet another example of Bollywood turning to ecological folklore as a storytelling device, following the template of earlier releases like Kantara (2022) and Bhediya (2022). The premise is rooted in a now-familiar idea: when modern man aggressively disrupts his habitat, the forest creates its own terrifying mechanism to push back.
Mumbai-based Rishi (Sidharth Malhotra) and his wife Mamta (Tamannaah) have been unable to conceive after a miscarriage. Rishi’s elder brother and sister-in-law (Anup Soni and Shweta Tiwari) urge the couple to return to their hometown for Chhath — something Rishi has been deliberately avoiding after having lost his child.
Losing the plot
Financial pressure compels Rishi to return home to close a land deal. His plan to sell his share of the land for a substantial sum — clearing the way for a road that will cut through a sacred forest — provokes the ire of the villagers, who feel the holy land and the spirits that reside within it should not be disturbed. Folklore has it that the keeper of the forest will unleash its demonic forces on anyone who disturbs it.
Also read: Village Rockstars 2 Review: Rima Das’s film makes the ecological feel personal
Man proposes, the mystical disposes, and what follows is a supernatural chain of events that impacts him and his wife. Once a believer in ‘Van Devi’, Rishi, a rationalist, now defies the various tenets he once had faith in — including revoking the rule of never entering the forest at night. His defiance and the legend of ‘Dev Van’ (holy forest), also instil a belief among the villagers that he could well be the successor who could overpower the evil gatekeeping forces.
Filmmaker Deepak Kumar Mishra draws from the contemporary folk-horror playbook, pitting local folklore against urban scepticism. The narrative follows a well-trodden arc: a pragmatic city outsider enters a restricted ancestral space, treats the ‘Dev Van’ as a resource to be cleared for infrastructure, and consequently disrupts a delicate equilibrium.
The first half is intriguing, with the promise of seamlessly blending its rich source material — but that promise curdles in a choppy second half since it tries to say too much and attempts to combine too many things — fantasy, mystery, folklore, action — thus confusing itself and losing the thread of the narrative in the process. The gags provided by Maniesh Paul feel flat, if not irritating, after a point.
The film ultimately loses its grip when it sets out to address a lot and ends up saying nothing at all, further weighed down by a finale that drags. The inclusion of too many songs feels like gyration for its own sake.
By the climax, The Vvaan isn’t fighting the forest anymore — it’s fighting itself.
All bark no bite
Sidharth Malhotra enters familiar territory as the urban boy trying to find his way back into rural terrain, this time as a crusader. His character is compelling as a one-time believer who has taken to rationality and once again is drawn towards the mystical, understanding there are things beyond scientific comprehension. But his dilemma gets lost in translation.
Tamannaah, on the other hand, lends the film its emotional core, showcasing her character’s longing to become a mother.
Sunil Grover plays the antagonist Deepak, who has his own backstory and his own agenda — to get hold of the sacred bracelet, which would make its bearer king of the forest. He is cleverly cast.
Also read: Shaque: Trust No One review: Netflix drama starring Parineeti Chopra weaves taut web of lies & betrayal
As Indian films tap into the rich folk and traditions of the country instead of looking outwards, The Vvaan is a brave attempt but keeps slipping into over-examining and explaining everything.
For a film about a vengeful forest, The Vvaan is strangely toothless — all bark, no bite.
Vvaan draws from the folklore surrounding Van Devi in Bihar, brings Chhath into its narrative, and sets up an interesting conflict between faith and rationality, while also touching upon man’s exploitation of nature. There is enough here to create a culturally rooted fantasy horror with an identity of its own.
Instead, the film gets distracted by everything around its central idea. Vvaan had a goddess, a curse and a forest on its side — and is unable to summon a single scare.