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Bollywood actor Sidharth Malhotra and actress Tamannaah Bhatia’s much-awaited folklore fantasy film ‘The Vvaan: Force of the Forest’ has finally released in theaters across the country. There was immense curiosity among the audience about this film, which brought cultural elements like Indian folklore, mysterious forests, glory of forest goddess and Chhath Puja in the mold of modern fantasy and brought it to the big screen. The film is directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra, who has previously made a mark with his concise storytelling style on digital platforms. As soon as this film, made in joint collaboration between Balaji Motion Pictures, The Viral Fever (TVF) and 11.11 Production, is released, there is a dual opinion among the audience and critics on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
While the audience who came out after watching the initial shows of the film, on one hand, has openly praised the film’s huge canvas, cinematography and Siddharth Malhotra’s strong acting, on the other hand, many viewers and film critics have raised questions on its scattered script and weak writing. One section on social media is considering it to be a wonderful visual spectacle on the big screen, while the other section is calling it an example of wasting a great idea in a half-baked script.
The audience who reached the theater on the first and second day of the film’s release have shared their detailed views on social media handle X. Many users have cited Sidharth Malhotra’s portrayal of ‘Veer’ (Shiv Ansh) in the film as one of the top three best performances of his career so far. Fans say that the emotional depth and physical energy with which she plays this mysterious and otherworldly character comes across very effectively on screen. Siddharth’s presence in the scenes woven around the power and faith of the Goddess has thrilled the audience.
A large section of the audience has highly appreciated the film’s visual effects (VFX), background score and hair-raising climax. A viewer wrote in his response that the film presents a wonderful example of devotion to Shakti and shows why it is necessary to worship nature and the supreme power. According to the audience present in the theatres, the last half hour of the film is extremely intense, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. If any audience wants to see a unique blend of Indian folklore and fantasy on the big screen, then they are going to love this cinematic experience.
While general fans have appreciated the emotional and visual aspects of the film, most film critics have been harsh on the film. Major media houses and film analysts have highlighted the flaws in its script, giving it only two stars out of five. Critics believe that the basic concept of ‘The Who: Force of the Forest’ was extremely influential. The mythological folklore of dense forests, the mystery of the forest goddess, folk culture and the backdrop of Chhath Puja could have formed a strong foundation of a classic fantasy cinema, but the film team failed to convert this golden idea into a tight and impactful story.
According to critics, the film’s screenplay appears extremely slow and disjointed at many places. The tone of the film constantly changes, preventing the audience from engaging with the story with the depth one would expect from a fantasy thriller. Additionally, the character development feels incomplete and the comic scenes forced into the story lighten the atmosphere. Critics conclude that despite the honest efforts of the cast and technically excellent visuals, the film falls short of its full potential due to the absence of a strong plot.
According to early data from film trade tracker Sacnilk, ‘The Vwan: Force of the Forest’ has registered a slow but steady pace at the box office on the second day of its release. The film took an opening of around Rs 8 crore on the first day in around 6,746 shows across the country. According to the initial trends till 3 pm on the second day on Saturday, it earned Rs 3.85 crore from about 3,800 shows. With this, the total domestic box office collection of the film has reached the figure of Rs 11.85 crore.
Trade experts believe that due to mixed reviews, Sunday is going to be a very decisive day for the film. Big budget fantasy films require strong word-of-mouth support to recoup their costs. Although the folklore and Goddess Shakti angle may give the film additional advantage in the coming days among the mass circuit and family audience, it may have to struggle continuously to maintain its hold among the multiplex audience.
In recent years, audience interest in folklore, regional beliefs and mythological fantasy stories has increased significantly in Indian cinema. After the success of this genre in South Indian cinema, Bollywood has also started taking big steps on this path. ‘The Vvaan’ is an important part of this experiment, where a director like Deepak Kumar Mishra has made a bold attempt to present traditional rural beliefs in the form of a supernatural thriller.
Now it will be interesting to see how much the general audience supports this film amid the mixed debate going on on social media and harsh comments from critics. Whether Sidharth Malhotra’s star power and gorgeous visuals will be able to propel the film to a respectable figure at the box office will become abundantly clear from the business trends of the next few days.