The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest is a fantasy drama film directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra in his feature film debut. The film is based around Indian folklore and combines elements of supernatural fantasy, mythology, and action. It is produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ekta Kapoor, Arunabh Kumar and Niraj Kothari, with Balaji Motion Pictures, TVF Motion Pictures and 11:11 Productions associated with the production.
The film is inspired by the real Van Devi Temple, Bihta near Patna and its folklore. The film was theatrically released on 25 September 2026.
Star Cast:
Sidharth Malhotra as Rishi
Tamannaah Bhatia as Mamta
Anup Soni as Shashi
Shweta Tiwari as Shushila
Sunil Grover as Deepak
Maniesh Paul as VP/Ved Prakash
Milind Gunaji as Priest
Avtar Gill as Sarpanch
Durgesh Kumar as Patrkaar
Sundip Ved as King Vikramaditya
Akshaan Sehrawat as Ricky
Ajay Raju as Bus Conductor
MOVIE REVIEW: The Vvaan is a painfully childish and confused film that wastes the potential of an interesting premise. What could have been a distinctive Indian fantasy-action rooted in folklore instead becomes a messy combination of mythology, horror, comedy and drama, with none of these elements receiving enough depth or conviction. The immature screenplay, messy second half, weak direction, average VFX, forced humour and unsatisfying climax collectively make The Vvaan a frustrating watch.
There was genuine potential in making a fantasy-horror story around a Goddess, Van Devi and the Chhath Puja traditions. On paper, a story blending Indian mythology, devotion, horror, fantasy and humour, while drawing from the folk mythology surrounding Van Devi and the cultural traditions of Bihar, sounds like an intriguing proposition. Unfortunately, the film fails to translate that promising idea into an engaging cinematic experience.
The direction is a major weakness. The direction needed greater control over tone, pacing and world-building. The first half itself struggles to establish the world and characters convincingly, but the film becomes considerably more problematic in the second half. The screenplay fails to build a compelling narrative around it. The climax is a big disappointment. By the time the film reaches its climax, the story has become so convoluted that the audience is left trying to understand what exactly the film is attempting to say. The visual effects are another drawback.
Sidharth Malhotra delivers a decent performance, but the writing doesn’t give him enough material to make a stronger impact. Tamannaah Bhatia is just fine in her role. Sunil Grover performance is better than what the screenplay offers him. Durgesh Kumar and Milind Gunaji are wasted. Anup Soni and Shweta Tiwari are just fine in their respective roles. The humour is perhaps one of the most unnecessary distractions. The sequences involving Maniesh Paul and Sulbha Arya are particularly problematic and humour doesn’t land consistently.
The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest Movie Rating:
Direction 1.5/5
Acting 2/5
Dialogues 1.5/5
Story 1.5/5
Screenplay 1/5
Overall Hit ya Flop Rating: 1.5 out of 5 Stars (Not Watchable)
Not Recommended 👎🏻
