Mumbai, Sep 16 (PTI) Actor Siddharth Malhotra on Wednesday said he instantly gave his nod to upcoming fantasy film “Vvaan: Force of the Forrest” as it offered him the chance to explore the world of Indian
folklore and fantasy for the first time.
Inspired by Indian folklore and faith, the film follows urban rational man (Malhotra), who returns to his ancestral village and dismisses warnings about a forbidden forest as superstition, only to unknowingly awaken an ancient divine goddess and face supernatural forces threatening his community.
“For this film, the marks for originality in terms of the story goes to TVF, it is their first film. This film has folklore and it is inspired by the heartland stories of India, and then TVF has added their own ‘tadka’ and so has Ekta, who has produced many fantasy shows. The film has a beautiful mix of fantasy and folklore,” Malhotra, known for films like “Shershaah”, and “Ek Villain”, said.
The actor said he has always tried to choose scripts that take him into different worlds and “Vvaan” offered exactly that.
“‘Vvaan’ is a new and different world, so saying yes to the film was an easy decision. Everyone has worked hard on the film and we’re excited to bring out a story that is inspired by folklore, and has dance and entertainment,” he said at the trailer launch of the press conference.
Malhotra praised co-star Tamannaah Bhatia, who plays his love interest, for bringing an instinctive quality to her performance.
Bhatia said she had a great time working on the film, and credited the makers for handling the depiction of ‘Chhath’ with care and emotion.
“Chhath is not a festival but an emotion. We know the importance of Chhath in our country, and we’ve done it with utmost honesty and done justice to that sequence. I’m excited to show that,” she said.
“Vvaan: Force of the Forrest” is directed by Deepak Mishra of “Panchayat” fame from a script written by Anandeshwar Dwivedi and The Viral Fever (TVF), founder, Arunabh Kumar, who has also produced the film with producer Ektaa Kapoor.
Kapoor said she was instantly drawn to the film and underscored the importance of telling stories that remain rooted in the country’s culture.
“The kind of content that Arunabh and I make is very different. But my admiration for them has been there because their stories are rooted. The problem with our country is that the content creators (referring to film industry people) have stopped connecting to the roots, to our country,” she said.
The film is set to arrive in cinemas on September 25. PTI KKP BK BK
