Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia’s The Vvaan: Force of the Forest has been in the making for some time now. The film recently came under a cloud of uncertainty following reports that TVF had backed out and that the makers were reshooting major portions. However, on Tuesday, the makers unveiled the first glimpse of the movie with a teaser that immediately shifts the conversation.

Blending folk horror, mythology and action, The Vvaan is visually arresting. The teaser opens with a warning about an ancient, dark force guarding a forbidden, cursed forest from which no one who enters ever returns. That changes when Sidharth Malhotra’s character arrives, seemingly drawn to the forest by fate.

The teaser’s biggest strength is its atmosphere. Cinematographer Manu Anand builds a world steeped in deep forest greens, crimson ritualistic lighting and mist-covered mountains. The imagery draws heavily from Goddess Durga mythology, with glowing red eyes carved into stone idols, tiger iconography and a striking sequence of Malhotra wielding a trident against an unseen force. Tamannaah Bhatia gets only a fleeting glimpse in the teaser, but her character appears to be closely connected to the forest and its divine protection.

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What makes The Vvaan intriguing is its attempt to tap into the growing appetite for folklore-driven cinema. After Tumbbad, Bramayugam and Kantara demonstrated the potential of rooted Indian mythology and folklore on screen, the genre has found a renewed audience. Deepak Kumar Mishra, who has largely been associated with grounded, heartland stories like Panchayat, seems to be making a confident leap into a much larger world of fantasy and folklore.

The teaser is further elevated by an energetic background score, with traditional chants adding to its sense of dread and mystery. There is little clarity on the story, but the teaser does what a first glimpse ideally should, it leaves you wanting to know what lies inside that forest.

The Vvaan: Force of the Forest releases on September 25, 2026.