The Vvaan - Force of the Forrest

“The Vvaan falls neatly into that third category, in which I struggled to find a single redeeming feature, and failed spectacularly. Clearly, Bollywood's idea of broad comedy hasn't moved an inch in all these decades. Meanwhile, all ideas of a coherent plot and even the faintest bit of sense, leave the chat.”

“The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest is an entertaining film that manages to balance faith, progress, questions of logic and tradition without leaning too heavily towards any one side. One of the biggest strengths of The Vvaan is its writing, with well-developed characters and strong dialogue that give the film a solid foundation.”

“The biggest strength of The Vvaan is its attempt to combine Indian folklore with fantasy. However, the biggest problem is its screenplay—despite having an interesting premise, the film doesn't always know how to take the story forward, with stretches especially in the second half where the narrative loses pace and fantasy elements don't receive the depth they deserve.”

“If you enjoy Deepak Kumar Mishra's storytelling style, you should definitely watch it. If you're looking for logic, you might be disappointed. Overall, The Vvaan is a one-time watch.”

“When The Vvaan enters the forest at night, it peaks. However, the film doesn’t know what to do with the conflict. The problem lies in the emotional execution. The Vvaan could have been one of the best mythological dramas, but it falls short in acting and emotional depth.”

“The Vvaan has several elements that could have made it an exciting theatrical experience, but a good premise needs an equally strong screenplay, and that is where The Vvaan struggles. Instead, the weak screenplay and lack of consistent thrills make it an underwhelming affair.”

“The story of the movie is very interesting, and visually it is stunning, but Deepak Kumar Mishra's weak direction makes it a strictly one-time watch film.”

“Unfortunately, the film struggles in the second half. The screenplay moves between folklore, mythology, superhero-style action, family drama, romance, and comedy without establishing a rhythm. There is a fascinating film somewhere inside 'The Vvaan', but it gets buried beneath too many competing ideas.”

“While the film has an intriguing premise and striking visuals, its uneven screenplay prevents the mythology from becoming as immersive as it could have been. The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest has the ingredients of a more layered fantasy thriller but does not bring them together consistently, becoming a moderately engaging supernatural adventure that only partially realises the potential of its premise.”

“On the whole, THE VVAAN rests on an interesting premise that blends devotion, mythology, horror and humour. However, a messy screenplay, weak villain track, several illogical developments and a haphazard climax severely dent the film's impact.”

“The Vvaan does briefly find that emotional core, but keeps wandering away from this promising conflict. The screenplay piles on one idea after another, and whenever the mystery starts taking shape, the screenplay feels compelled to explain it—the more Vvaan tells us about its mythology, the less mysterious it becomes.”

“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. 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.”

“The first half builds curiosity and keeps you invested, but the second half nosedives with choppy editing and an overextended comic relief that stretches far beyond its shelf life, resulting in a muddled narrative that fails to maintain focus.”

“The Vvaan's attempt at creating fear is considerably less effective. Several sequences appear designed to frighten the audience through familiar visual devices, sudden occurrences and an increasingly loud background score. The result is less unsettling than repetitive. Once the familiar elements of folklore, family conflict, supernatural imagery and loud sound design are stripped away, there is very little left that feels distinctive.”

“While the premise is prescient, the execution feels like a creative compromise, with the storytelling and world-building tilting toward the Balaji aesthetic. The film's structural predictability stems from a highly repetitive narrative flow, and by trapping the audience in this predictable loop of scare-laugh-reset, the screenplay fails to build toward a cogent climax.”

“The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest is one of the foremost painful experiences I've had in a cinema hall. Because The Vvaan is a 136-minute-long devotional video (composed with Windows 1997 tools) masquerading as a movie. It's a K-serial on cheat day, a Zee Horror Show imposter on memory-loss medicines, a mythological fantasy on a fake witchcraft internship, and last of all, an insincere and soulless Bollywood production that becomes a ghastly parody of itself.”

“Although The Vvan labours to establish Van Devi's pre-eminence in the pantheon of Hindu goddesses, the 136-minute film doesn't work hard enough to create a compelling, awe-inspiring back story for her. There's little focus to the hocus pocus, with slapstick comedy and an item song interrupting Rishi's conversion into a firm believer.”

“The Vvaan – Force of the Forest starts with an intriguing mix of folklore, faith and supernatural mystery, but loses momentum with an overcrowded screenplay. Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia deliver sincere performances, though the film struggles to balance its many ideas.”