The Vvaan weaves an old-fashioned yarn of spiritual beliefs against a theme of folklore horror that detours into an action-packed, bombastic Telugu supernatural territory concluding in a part harmless, part tedious watch, notes Sukanya Verma.
IMAGE: Tamannaah Bhatia and Sidharth Malhotra in The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest.
Key Points
- The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest attempts to blend local Bihar legends and folklore horror but suffers from clashing sensibilities between its creators, Arunabh Kumar and Ektaa Kapoor.
- Sidharth Malhotra plays Rishi, a sceptic who dismisses forest mythology until he experiences supernatural events, while Tamannaah Bhatia portrays his wife Mamta, whose prayers evoke a Jai Santoshi Maa style of devotion.
- Despite an ominous atmosphere created by elements like a red-eyed shrine and mysterious tiger, the film’s overall tackiness and a miscast Sunil Grover dilute its intrigue.
Questioning folklore is guaranteed to wreak havoc in stories built around legends and myths.
Stepping inside a cursed forest on a full moon night despite repeated warnings from villagers turned Rahul Roy into a tiger, late night strolls during an annual four-day festival spelled sure-shot doom for the male residents of Chanderi in Stree when abducted by its titular bhootni.
In the erroneously spelled The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest, Sidharth Malhotra as the sceptic Rishi scoffs at the forbidden forest mythology threatening folks with dire consequences should they dare step inside the woods after sunset and stir the peace of its esteemed Van Devi mata. Until he knows better.
A Clash of Sensibilities
A prologue at the beginning of The Vvaan, whose animation quality makes Chhota Bheem‘s cartoons look Disney grade, gives context to the events of seventh century Devanchal involving Van Devi’s boon to a king and the protection his descendants will receive from the dark forces of midnight for eternity. How it all connects to The Vvaan‘s present-day contrivances is what its 136 minutes running time is all about.
The Viral Fever’s Arunabh Kumar and Ektaa Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms are an odd fit for the same. When the master of restrained grassroot reality and queen of shrill soapy dramas collaborate to turn a local Bihar legend into propulsive cinema, the end product is a mishmash of clashing sensibilities.
Helmed by Panchayat Director Deepak Kumar Mishra from Arunabh’s script, The Vvaan weaves an old-fashioned yarn of spiritual beliefs against a theme of folklore horror that detours into an action-packed, bombastic Telugu supernatural territory concluding in a part harmless, part tedious watch.
Plot And Performances
It all begins when Rishi (Sidharth Malhotra) and Mamta (Tamannaah Bhatia) take a break from their city life to celebrate Chhath Puja in their hometown in Bihar. The only thing you need to know about this husband-wife duo is they are unable to conceive, prompting Rishi to sell off his share of the family inheritance in their native village to finance an expensive IVF procedure.
The only thing that you actually notice is the absurd amount of product placement right from oil, atta brands to acne creams.
Also, once they set foot in their hometown, Mamta’s wardrobe quickly changes from chic western to sanskari bahu.
Amidst conflict over razing down the forest to create roads or retaining the Van Devi’s legacy, unresolved property disputes from Rishi’s sister-in-law’s (Shweta Tiwari) side and a town full of politicians and imposters claiming to be the mythical king’s offspring, our hero has divinatory visions he cannot quite fathom.
Sidharth Malhotra is a robust sight to behold but doesn’t do anything exceptionally different to distinguish from his past heroics except underscore his brawn in over-the-top derring-do.
Where The Vvaan‘s mumbo jumbo works towards an ominous air with its mix of a red eyed shrine, mysterious tiger, dark wraiths and desi dementors, its overall tackiness allows tiny scope for thrill. A twist in the form of Sunil Grover’s miscast two-timer dilutes whatever little intrigue the makers have in mind.
Mamta’s pledges and prayers evoke a Jai Santoshi Maa style of bhakti, which finds a genuine personification in Tamannaah’s sincerity.
Missed Opportunities
While the movie swings between spiritual and supernatural, Maniesh Paul’s effortless goofiness as a video blogger spooked by Sulbha Arya’s creepy Kaki rescues The Vvaan‘s clunky contents with surprising zing.
An opportunity to champion environmentalism and introduce Bihari culture in mainstream is squandered over a lacklustre contest of good and greedy that overstays its welcome in favour of fantastical shenanigans.
The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest Review Rediff Rating:
