Sidharth Malhotra’s Vvaan Review, Rating, Story, Cast & Budget

A city-bred skeptic stumbles into a forest that's been forbidden for centuries, and ends up waking up something far bigger than he bargained for. That's the pitch behind The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest, and this Vvaan Review is here to tell you whether the film actually pulls it off.

Movie Details
Movie Name	The Vvaan - Force Of The Forest
Release Date	25 September 2026
Lead cast	Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia
Language	Hindi
Genre	Horror / Mythological / Fantasy
Director	Deepak Kumar Mishra and Arunabh Kumar
Producer	Shobha Kapoor, Ektaa Kapoor, Arunabh Kumar, and Niraj Kothari
Writer	Arunabh Kumar
Music Composer	Amit Trivedi
Cinematography	Manu Anand
Editor	Nitin Baid
Budget	Rs 80-100 Crore
Rating	2.5/5

What Is the Story of Vvaan – Force Of The Forest?

The story opens way back in 7th-century Devanchal, where an old rule holds firm: nobody enters the forest, or "van," after sunset. That rule is tied to Van Devi, a mysterious protective force believed to guard the people of the region. When the queen's life is put in danger, the king of Devanchal is forced to break that sacred rule and step into the forest anyway, setting off consequences that ripple all the way into the present day.

Cut to modern times, and we meet Rishi, played by Sidharth Malhotra, a rational, city-bred man who returns to his ancestral village carrying all the scepticism of urban life. He dismisses the local warnings about the cursed, forbidden forest as nothing more than superstition. Naturally, that doesn't end well. His actions end up awakening a divine goddess, and Rishi is suddenly forced to rise as the village's protector against dark forces known as the Bhuttakas.

Tamannaah Bhatia plays Mamta, Rishi's wife, a devout believer whose faith stands in sharp contrast to his disbelief. Their dynamic becomes the emotional core running through this supernatural fantasy thriller, as the story blends mythology, romance, and folklore-driven horror into one big-screen package.

Vvaan Review

Here's the honest breakdown from this Vvaan Review, because critical reactions to this supernatural fantasy thriller have genuinely gone both ways.

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What works:

• The folklore is genuinely rooted and specific, drawing from real regional beliefs tied to the Van Devi Temple near Bihta, Bihar, which gives the film a cultural backbone rarely seen in mainstream Hindi cinema.
• Sidharth Malhotra brings real energy and vulnerability to Rishi, and several reviewers have called it a fresh new avatar for the actor.
• Sunil Grover stands out among the supporting cast, delivering a performance that impresses even when the writing around him wobbles.
• The Chhath Puja sequence and its connection to the story have been singled out by multiple reviewers as a genuinely goosebump-inducing moment.
• The scale and visual ambition, especially around the Bhuttakas' backstory, have been praised for giving the film a proper big-screen feel.

What doesn't work:

• Some critics found the screenplay weak and inconsistent, saying the film leans too heavily on over-explanation, especially in the second half.
• A few reviews called the overall pacing tedious, with the mystery losing steam rather than building tension.
• The VFX isn't consistently convincing throughout, occasionally pulling viewers out of the film's atmosphere.
• The chemistry between Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia has been described by some as lukewarm rather than electric.
• The familiar, formulaic tone in parts keeps this supernatural fantasy thriller from feeling as fresh as its folklore premise promises.

Interestingly, this Vvaan Review reflects a genuinely split reaction. Early X reactions and a section of critics rated it as high as 3-3.5 rating out of 5, calling it a refreshing, rooted cinematic experience, while other reviewers were far more critical, with a couple of outlets going as far as calling it one of the year's more tedious watches.

The Vvaan Budget and Box Office Collection Day 1

The Vvaan is estimated to have been made on a budget somewhere between Rs. 80-100 crore, with Sidharth Malhotra's individual fee reportedly around Rs. 12 crore, reflecting both his current market standing and the physically demanding nature of the role.

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On the box office front, predictions ahead of release varied between Rs. 5-9 crore for opening day, with trade analysts noting that strong advance bookings, particularly in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, were being driven by the film's Chhath Puja connection. Whether it crosses into a stronger opening weekend, with some trade watchers hoping for as much as Rs. 35 crore, will depend heavily on word of mouth in the days following release.

Should You Watch This?

If you're drawn to rooted, folklore-based storytelling and don't mind a slower, mythology-heavy build-up, this supernatural fantasy thriller is worth checking out, especially for Sidharth Malhotra's performance and the genuinely unique Chhath Puja sequence. Go in expecting a mixed bag rather than a flawless genre film, and you're less likely to be disappointed.

If you prefer tightly written, fast-paced thrillers with no room for extra explanation, you might find some stretches testing your patience, based on how divided this Vvaan Review's overall critical reception has been.

The Vvaan takes a genuinely bold swing at bringing regional Indian folklore to the big screen, and while it doesn't fully stick the landing, the ambition, Sidharth Malhotra's performance, and its cultural rootedness make this supernatural fantasy thriller worth a watch for anyone curious about something different from the usual Bollywood formula.

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