The Vvaan: Tamannaah Bhatia says Chhathi Maiya song shoot left her teary-eyed

Tamannaah Bhatia got emotional while shooting Chhathi Maiya song for The Vvaan. The actor spoke about Chhath Puja and Bihari culture at the film's trailer launch.

Actor Tamannaah Bhatia started welling up while filming Chhathi Maiya, a song from the upcoming film The Vvaan. The 36-year-old spoke about the track at the film's trailer launch on Wednesday. The actor said the sequence helped her understand more about Chhath Puja and what she described as a beautiful part of Bihari culture, while the song itself has been drawing attention on social media.

Her comments came as the makers unveiled the trailer of the fantasy film, which stars Tamannaah and Sidharth Malhotra together for the first time. Set inside a forest where ancient beliefs and the supernatural collide, the film also features Manish Paul, Shweta Tiwari, Sunil Grover and Anup Soni, and is scheduled to release in theatres on September 25.

Talking about the song, Tamannaah said, as quoted by NDTV, "This film is very special to all of us. There are so many folk stories in our country, and bringing them to the big screen takes a lot of courage, clarity and vision." The actor, who was born and brought up in Mumbai, said she had often seen large crowds celebrating Chhath Puja at Juhu beach but did not know much about the traditions associated with the festival.

"I grew up in Mumbai. Chhath Puja is a major festival, and I have always seen a large crowd at Juhu beach. I did not know much about the festival. But when I shot this sequence, I learnt that it involves a very difficult fast, with people going without water for 36 hours and praying to the Goddess," she said.

She also spoke about what she found particularly beautiful about the festival and Bihari culture. "These days, we hear a lot about gratitude and manifestation. This is a very beautiful part of Bihari culture. Everyone pays their respects to the rising Sun, but here, the setting Sun is given equal importance and respect," she said.

Recalling the experience of shooting the sequence, Tamannaah said she became emotional while performing the scene. "When I was shooting the scene, I started welling up and I don't know why. As artists, we are vessels, and I feel there is something beyond us that makes us feel certain things," she said.

She added, "I think that is the intention of films - to make you feel something. I am grateful to be a part of this song. A few years from now, when I see someone celebrating Chhath, this song will definitely be playing in my mind."

Tamannaah's comments at the trailer launch placed Chhathi Maiya at the centre of the conversation around The Vvaan, with the actor speaking about her personal response to the festival, the emotion she felt while filming the sequence, and the place the song holds within the film.

The newly unveiled 2-minute 44-second trailer offers a first look at a story that blends romance, comedy and horror. It sets up a conflict involving the Vvaan Devi forest temple and plans for its development, while the release of Chhathi Maiya forms part of that wider build-up. The trailer opens with the introduction of the Bhuttakas, described as dark forces of nature, and establishes the legend of a forest from which nobody who enters at night returns alive.

The story then begins with Tamannaah's character asking about Chhath Puja holidays, while Sidharth's character keeps offering excuses. Tamannaah's character, however, believes that the goddess herself has called them there. The trailer then shows a series of supernatural events, with the temple on one side and development on the other.

Sidharth's character appears to begin as a non-believer, but after he hits his head and loses consciousness, he seems to travel to the past and undergo a transformation. While the trailer does not reveal much about Tamannaah's role beyond presenting her as his on-screen wife, she is shown helping him understand the bond he feels with the forest and is also seen offering prayers to Chhatti Maiya.

The film's earlier teaser, released under the title The Vvaan: Force of the Forest, had introduced its folklore-based setting and hinted at a conflict involving an unknown force inside the forest, along with suggestions of possession and a struggle for power. Before that, the makers had also released a motion poster and a brief comic-art reveal that offered limited details about the film's world.

The Vvaan has also gone through several release date changes. It was first announced for a Chhath Puja release in 2025 before being moved to May 2026 and then August 28. Directed by Deepak Kumar Misra and produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ektaa Kapoor, the Balaji Telefilms-backed film is now set to arrive in theatres on September 25.