Rating: 3.5/5
The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest takes Bihar folklore, faith and grief and turns them into a supernatural fantasy thriller.
Directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra, the film follows Rishi (Sidharth Malhotra), a rationalist who returns to his ancestral village with his wife Mamta (Tamannaah Bhatia), only to find himself drawn into the mystery of a forbidden forest and the legend of Van Devi.
The film’s rooted setting and mythology give it an identity of its own, even when the storytelling becomes uneven.
At the heart of the story is Rishi and Mamta’s personal grief, which adds an emotional layer to the supernatural mystery.
Sidharth Malhotra brings physicality and restraint to Rishi as his rational worldview begins to shift, while Tamannaah Bhatia brings sincerity to Mamta’s faith and longing for motherhood. Sunil Grover takes on a darker role, and Maniesh Paul provides some much-needed comic relief.
The performances work best when the film stays close to its characters and their emotional conflicts.
The writing has a strong premise, but the screenplay tries to accommodate too much, moving between folklore, faith, family conflict, development, comedy and supernatural action.
The first half does a better job of building the mystery, while the second half becomes increasingly crowded and loses some of the atmosphere established earlier.
Deepak Kumar Mishra gives the forest and its folklore a distinct visual identity, although the VFX and tonal shifts occasionally weaken the tension.
Should You Watch The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest?
If you enjoy fantasy thrillers rooted in Indian folklore, The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest has enough story, atmosphere and performances to make it worth a watch. Its emotional core and intriguing mythology work in its favour, even if the screenplay loses focus in the second half.
Also Read:
Hunkkaar Review: Aneet Padda Shines in a Fight Against Power
