The Vvaan: Force of the Forest introduces Rishi (played by Sidharth Malhotra), an atheist from Mumbai, who, along with his wife, Mamta (Tamannaah Bhatia), has been unable to conceive a child after a miscarriage.
A property issue makes them return to the village of Rishi’s ancestors, Devanchal, where lives Rishi’s elder brother (played by Anup Soni) and his sister-in-law (Shweta Tiwari).
The village is near the forest, which is supposed to have Van Devi, a forest goddess, who features in the myths and legends of that region and is part of the Chhath Puja practices.
This movie has a typical formula that is popular within Bollywood movies—the revenge of nature against man. It is similar to other films such as Kantara and Bhediya.
Director Deepak Kumar Mishra brings myth, supernatural thriller, action, love story, and comedy all into one 2-hour 45-minute film. This is quite a lot for any film to achieve.
However, some critics appreciated the film's basic idea and mood despite giving negative reviews on the way the movie was realized.
"The Federal" called the concept "now familiar idea" realized in a visually impressive manner, adding that the development of Malhotra's character was "very compelling"—the one-time believer who turned to mysticism, having spent many years in rationalism.
India TV News rated the movie 2 out of 5 stars, saying that "it makes hope at the beginning and disappoints at the end, failing to meet the expectations," but nevertheless admitting "some good idea(s)" and "obvious efforts of its cast."
On the contrary, one of the critics evaluated the movie in a more positive manner, giving it 4 out of 5 stars.
Commonly agreed criticisms have been on the screenplay. As per India TV News, the script has been criticized for its "scattered screenplay, inconsistent tone, and too many subplots," while the forest mystery loses its effect because "the film doesn't allow it enough time to build itself."
The humor elements have also been criticized. "The jokes which come out of nowhere in the midst of some serious proceedings destroy the atmosphere of the film," the review goes, while also highlighting that "the climax doesn't justify the mystery in the movie."
The Hollywood Reporter India was way more critical, stating that the film is one of "the most painful experiences" the reviewer had in the past years of reviewing Hindi movies, referring to it as "a television-spot devotional video posing as a movie."
The Week took an even stronger approach, declaring the movie "so mindless that it cannot be called even brainrot" and pointing out "problematic depictions, especially with regard to witchcraft allegations."
The performance by Malhotra received divided yet positive reviews. According to India TV News, he was "decent as Rishi," but "the performances do not elevate beyond the weak screenplay of the movie."
Conversely, Tamannaah Bhatia received favorable comments from the critics since she "gives the film its emotional soul by exhibiting her character's desire to be a mother."
Other actors from the supporting cast were also individually commended, such as Maniesh Paul because of his comic timing, Anup Soni because of the need for him to be serious, and Sunil Grover as Deepak, the villain who wanted to get the holy bracelet to dominate the forest.
One unique aspect pointed out by the critics was that the movie was based on the folklore of Bihar, which is hardly ever chosen to form the backdrop of a Hindi fantasy movie.
OneWorldNews pointed out that "the movie provides an unusual setting and attracts attention with the help of the regional mythology," while at the same time pointing out that "the uneven screenplay and inconsistent second half have received criticism."
The ratings of this show on a scale were diverse, as well. The show received 2/5 from India TV News, 2.5/5 from Times of India, 3/5 from Aaj Tak (because the first half was extremely interesting while the second half did not live up to expectations), and 3.5/5 from India Forums (because of its visuals and genre).
These varying ratings are indicative of a film that was definitely polarizing among the critics due to the gap between their ambition and execution.
It is not the first time that Malhotra appears in a movie where the film’s tone has been called inconsistent and overreaching by critics. While there have been some highly acclaimed films in Malhotra’s career, such as Shershaah, which earned him a nomination at the Filmfare Awards, there have also been other movies that haven’t been received well by critics.
The Vvaan has followed a reasonably successful year for the actor in 2025, with the release of Param Sundari, a romantic comedy.
