The Vvaan: Force of the Forest Movie Review — Film Gets Mixed-to-Harsh Reviews
Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia’s much-awaited fantasy folklore film The Vvaan: Force of the Forest has arrived in theatres, bringing together mythology, supernatural elements, environmental themes and action.
Directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra, best known for Panchayat, the film follows a Mumbai-based couple who return to their ancestral village and become caught up in the mysteries surrounding a forbidden forest and its guardian deity.
While the film’s trailers promised a visually rich folklore adventure, the early critical response has been sharply critical. The Indian Express gave the film 0.5/5, while The Hollywood Reporter India published a strongly negative review.
What Is The Vvaan: Force of the Forest About?
The story revolves around Rishi, played by Sidharth Malhotra, and his wife Mamta, played by Tamannaah Bhatia.
Rishi is presented as a modern, rational-minded man who is sceptical of religious traditions and supernatural beliefs. The couple return to their ancestral region during Chhath Puja, where they encounter an ancient forest surrounded by local beliefs and strict rules.
One of the central rules is that nobody should enter the forest after sunset.
The forest is believed to be protected by a goddess, while mysterious supernatural forces are said to punish those who violate its boundaries.
The film gradually places Rishi’s rational worldview against the faith and traditions of the village.
Sidharth Malhotra Plays an Atheist Who Questions Tradition
Sidharth Malhotra plays Rishi, a character who initially rejects the villagers’ beliefs.
According to The Hollywood Reporter India, Rishi’s journey is essentially an atheist-to-believer transformation. His scepticism is challenged after he becomes increasingly involved with the mysterious forest and the supernatural events surrounding it.
The film uses this transformation as one of its central narrative ideas, bringing together questions of faith, science, tradition and development.
Tamannaah Bhatia’s Character Is Closely Linked to the Story
Tamannaah Bhatia plays Mamta, Rishi’s wife.
The couple’s personal story is connected to their inability to have a child and to an earlier incident involving their relationship with the forest deity.
Her character becomes an important link between Rishi’s modern outlook and the beliefs associated with his wife’s ancestral village.
The trailer had already hinted that Mamta has a stronger connection to the village’s spiritual traditions than Rishi.
The Forbidden Forest Is the Film’s Central Element
The mysterious forest is essentially another character in the story.
The film establishes a supernatural world involving an ancient goddess, mysterious creatures and villagers who have followed traditional rules for generations.
The promotional material positioned the forest as a place where folklore, mythology and supernatural horror come together.
The story also introduces a conflict over a proposed road and development project near the forest, bringing an environmental angle into the narrative.
What Did The Indian Express Say?
Indian Express critic Shubhra Gupta gave The Vvaan 0.5 out of 5 stars and described the viewing experience in extremely negative terms.
The review criticised the screenplay, humour, performances and the film’s handling of its folklore and fantasy elements. Gupta also argued that the film struggles to successfully combine its different ideas, including faith, development and environmental concerns.
The review also takes issue with the film’s opening portions and several of its comic sequences, arguing that they establish a tone that the movie fails to recover from.
The Hollywood Reporter India’s Take
The Hollywood Reporter India was similarly critical.
Reviewer Rahul Desai described the movie as a film that transforms its atheist protagonist into a believer while relying heavily on devotional and supernatural elements. The review criticised the writing, visual effects, humour and overall execution.
The review also argues that the film’s environmental storyline is not developed convincingly enough. According to Desai, the movie initially appears to be dealing with the conflict between development and the protection of forests, but ultimately places greater emphasis on faith and divine intervention.
The Film Had a Strong Visual Setup Before Release
Interestingly, the response to the film’s promotional material had been considerably more positive.
When the teaser was released in August, the Indian Express described it as visually arresting, highlighting its forest setting, mythology-inspired imagery, misty landscapes and dark atmosphere.
The trailer also generated interest because it presented a combination of folk horror, mythology, action and fantasy.
The film was positioned as a new direction for director Deepak Kumar Mishra, who is widely associated with the grounded storytelling of Panchayat.
Deepak Kumar Mishra Moves From Panchayat to Folklore Fantasy
One of the more interesting aspects of The Vvaan is its director.
Deepak Kumar Mishra is known primarily for the rural comedy-drama world of Panchayat. With The Vvaan, he attempts to move into a much larger fantasy and folklore universe involving mythology, supernatural forces and action.
The film also features a larger-scale visual world compared with Mishra’s previous work.
However, according to the reviews from Indian Express and The Hollywood Reporter India, the transition has not translated into a satisfying cinematic experience for them.
Sunil Grover, Maniesh Paul and Other Cast Members
The film also features Sunil Grover, Maniesh Paul, Shweta Tiwari and Anup Soni in supporting roles.
Sunil Grover plays a local character who has a more pragmatic view of development and the problems faced by villagers.
Maniesh Paul provides comic relief through the character of Rishi’s friend, while Anup Soni plays a significant role within the family and village storyline.
Faith vs Science Is at the Heart of the Story
At its core, The Vvaan explores a conflict between two different worldviews.
Rishi represents rationalism and scepticism, while the villagers’ lives are deeply influenced by faith, mythology and generations-old traditions.
The film gradually challenges Rishi’s beliefs through supernatural events.
This conflict between faith and reason is one of the movie’s major narrative themes, although the critics differ in how successfully they believe the film handles it.
Environmental Message Adds Another Layer
The movie also touches on environmental protection.
The villagers are opposed to development around the sacred forest, while others see infrastructure development as necessary.
This creates a second conflict alongside the faith-versus-rationalism storyline.
However, The Hollywood Reporter India argued that the environmental theme is not explored deeply enough and instead becomes secondary to the film’s supernatural and devotional elements.
The Vvaan Movie Review: What Critics Are Saying
The early reviews are notably critical:
| Publication | Reviewer’s Take |
| Indian Express | Rated the film 0.5/5, criticising its writing, humour, performances and overall execution. |
| The Hollywood Reporter India | Strongly criticised the film’s storytelling, visual effects, humour and treatment of its themes. |
| The Hindu | Reviewed the film as a lopsided eco-thriller, with the review focusing on the imbalance between its environmental ideas and other narrative elements. |
The reviews are opinions from individual critics and should not be treated as a measure of audience response or box-office performance.
The Vvaan Release Date and Runtime
The Vvaan: Force of the Forest released in theatres on September 25, 2026.
The film has a reported runtime of approximately 136 minutes and combines fantasy, folklore, supernatural elements, comedy and action.
The film is directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra and features Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia in the lead roles.
The Final Verdict From the Early Reviews
The Vvaan: Force of the Forest arrived with an interesting premise: a modern sceptic entering a mysterious forest governed by ancient beliefs, with mythology, environmental conflict and supernatural forces driving the story.
Its trailers had generated attention for their atmosphere and folklore-inspired world.
However, the early reviews from Indian Express and The Hollywood Reporter India have been strongly negative, particularly about the screenplay, humour, visual effects and the way the film handles its central themes.
Whether audiences agree with those assessments will depend on how they respond to the film’s mix of mythology, fantasy, comedy and action.