Tamannaah Bhatia on The Vvaan: ‘As Artists, We Are Essentially Vessels’ While Recalling Emotional Chhath Song Shoot

“As artists, we are essentially vessels.” Tamannaah Bhatia opened up about the deeply emotional experience of shooting the Chhath sequence for The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest, revealing how portraying the festival and its traditions left her unexpectedly moved. During an interaction with the media at the film’s trailer launch, the actress spoke about discovering the depth of Chhath Puja while filming the song and explained why the experience has become particularly special to her as an actor.

Talking about the moment when she performed the Arghya sequence, Tamannaah said, “And when I was performing the Arghya—shooting that specific sequence—I can't tell you... I was welling up, and I don't even know why. I feel that as artists, we are essentially vessels. We might think we are the ones doing the acting, but I am certain there is something beyond us that evokes these feelings and moves us.” For Tamannaah, the sequence wasn't simply another song shoot; it became an experience that connected her with a cultural tradition she had not known much about before becoming part of the film.

The actress revealed that, while growing up in Mumbai, she had frequently seen huge crowds gathering around places such as Juhu Beach, but Chhath itself was something she hadn't previously understood in depth. “Having grown up in Mumbai, I’ve always seen huge crowds at Juhu Beach. To be honest, I didn't know much about this festival before. But when I shot this sequence, I realized what a rigorous fast it is. People go without water for 36 hours and pray to Chhathi Maiya,” she shared.

What particularly stayed with Tamannaah was the philosophy behind the festival and its unique relationship with the sun. Drawing a connection with today's conversations around gratitude and manifestation, she pointed towards what she found especially beautiful about the tradition. “In today's generation, we hear a lot about gratitude and manifestation. But I think this is a truly beautiful aspect of Bihari culture: while everyone bows to the rising sun, here, the setting sun is accorded equal reverence,” she said.

For the actress, that sentiment became even more meaningful while filming the sequence. Tamannaah explained that the emotion she experienced while performing the ritual was difficult to consciously explain, but it reinforced her belief in what cinema can do when an artist genuinely connects with a moment. “And I believe the intention of cinema has always been to make you feel something,” she added, describing how the Chhath song and the larger episode gave her an opportunity to become part of something she found deeply moving.

Tamannaah also expressed gratitude for the possibility that the song could become associated with Chhath celebrations for audiences in the years ahead. “So, through this song and this entire episode—which is crucial to the film—I got the chance to be a part of it. I am extremely grateful. Extremely, extremely grateful, because I know that years from now, if I see someone celebrating Chhath, that song might be playing in the background somewhere. I know I’ll hear it in my lifetime. That makes it incredibly special for me as an actor,” she said.

In The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest, Tamannaah plays Sidharth Malhotra’s wife, with both characters hailing from Bihar, where the story is set. The film uses the region's cultural landscape and folklore as an important part of its narrative, making the Chhath sequence more than just a festive song. It becomes part of the world-building that establishes the traditions, beliefs and atmosphere surrounding the characters.

Directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra, best known as the creator of Panchayat, and written and co-directed by Arunabh Kumar, The Vvaan is being presented as a mythological fantasy thriller that combines regional folklore with supernatural elements. The story follows Sidharth's character, a rational, city-bred man who travels with his deeply religious wife to her ancestral roots in Bihar for Chhath Puja. His perspective begins to change when a local land dispute brings him face-to-face with the village's ancient beliefs surrounding a forbidden forest.

According to the film's premise, the forest is governed by a chilling rule: anyone who enters after sunset never returns alive. After entering the sacred ground and suffering an injury, Sidharth's character begins experiencing mysterious divine visions, eventually uncovering an ancient connection that transforms his journey into one involving a forest goddess, a past-life connection and supernatural forces known as bhuttakas.

The film's mythology is reportedly inspired by a 400-year-old Van Devi Temple in Bihta, Patna, Bihar, while the folklore explored in the story draws from regional legends. Alongside Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia, the ensemble features Sunil Grover, Shweta Tiwari, Maniesh Paul and Anup Soni. The musical world of the film is equally expansive, with compositions by Vishal Mishra, Amit Trivedi, Tanishk Bagchi and Sam CS.

With The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest scheduled to release in cinemas on September 25, 2026, Tamannaah's reflections on the Chhath sequence offer a glimpse into the emotional and cultural heart of the film. For an actress who entered the shoot without knowing the festival's deeper traditions, the experience became something far more personal than she expected.

And perhaps that is exactly what Tamannaah means when she says artists are vessels — sometimes a role doesn't just ask you to perform a moment; it allows you to experience something that stays with you long after the cameras stop rolling.

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