THE VVAAN Movie Review: An Interesting Premise Let Down by a Messy Screenplay

THE VVAAN Movie Review

THE VVAAN is the story of a man named Rishi, played by Sidharth Malhotra, whose actions unleash chaos in his village. Rishi lives in Mumbai with his wife Mamta, played by Tamannaah Bhatia. Though his brother, played by Anup Soni, invites him to Devanchal every year for Chhath Puja, Rishi makes an exception this time after receiving a land acquisition summons regarding a proposed road through a forest near the village.

Villagers strongly oppose the road plan, believing that entering the forest after sunset will anger the 'Van Devi' residing there. Rishi dismisses these beliefs as superstition and supports Deepak, played by Sunil Grover, who is helping develop the road. This creates friction with his sister-in-law Sushila, played by Shweta Tiwari. Determined to disprove the villagers' fears, Rishi ventures into the forest after sunset, setting off the rest of the film's events.

Story and Direction

Arunabh Kumar's story blends devotion, mythology, and horror, but the screenplay becomes messy, particularly in the second half. Anandeshwar Dwivedi penned the dialogues, which feature a desi flavor and humor. Deepak Kumar Mishra directed the film, succeeding in building an eerie atmosphere and utilizing humor—particularly through scenes featuring VP, played by Maniesh Paul—that carries a classic TVF flavor.

However, the film faces several flaws, including forced humor from Sulbha Arya, a weak villain track, and illogical developments such as an unexplained secret regarding Raja Vikramaditya's descendant and a powerful anklet kept in an easily accessible location. The haphazard climax ultimately evokes a sense of déjà vu, specifically of BAAHUBALI.

Performances

Sidharth Malhotra delivers a decent performance and is convincing in action sequences. Tamannaah Bhatia provides a dependable performance and stands out in the song 'Chhathi Maiya'. Maniesh Paul brings laughs, while Sulbha Arya goes overboard at times. Anup Soni and Shweta Tiwari offer able support. Sunil Grover gives a sincere performance hampered by writing, and other cast members include Durgesh Kumar as a reporter, Milind Gunaji as a priest, Avtar Gill as a Sarpanch, and Sundip Ved as King Vikramaditya.

Music and Technical Aspects

Musical highlights include the standout song 'Chhathi Maiya', the soulful 'Samjho Na', the forced 'Thummak Thummak', and 'Hum Hain'. Sandeep Shirodkar provided the background score. Manu Anand handled the cinematography, capturing locales and night forest sequences clearly. Parvez Shaikh directed the action, Niharika Bhasin designed the costumes, and Amit Ray and Subrata Chakraborty managed production design. VFX was handled by Labyrinth Studios, Divinity Pictures VFX, and New Kore VFX Pvt Ltd, while Nitin Baid served as the editor.