Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia-starrer "The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest" opened to an estimated ₹8 crore net in India on Friday, September 25, 2026. Directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra, best known for the hit web series "Panchayat", the supernatural fantasy thriller recorded a gross collection of around ₹9.60 crore across 6,746 shows.
The film had an overall theatre occupancy of 28.25% on its opening day. Its audience turnout grew steadily through the day, with morning shows recording 12.23% occupancy, afternoon shows 24%, evening shows 26.08% and night shows 41.46%, according to tracking data from Sacnilk. The strong performance of the night shows suggests that the film gained momentum as the day progressed.
"The Vvaan" combines supernatural elements, mythology and action with Indian folklore. Set around a forbidden forest in a village in Bihar, the film attempts to create a fantasy world rooted in local legends. It also marks Mishra’s Bollywood directorial debut.
The opening is stronger than several other September releases. Kareena Kapoor’s "Daayra" and Kunal Kemmu’s "Vibe" reportedly opened at around ₹1 crore each. "The Vvaan" also recorded a higher first-day net than Akshay Kumar’s "Haiwaan", which opened at ₹3 crore, and Sunny Deol’s "Batwara 1947", which collected ₹5.75 crore.
However, the film faces an important test over the rest of the weekend. With its reported production and promotional budget estimated at ₹80–150 crore, sustained audience interest will be important for the film to recover its costs.
The opening is particularly significant for Sidharth Malhotra. At ₹8 crore, "The Vvaan" has recorded the highest opening day for a film led solely by him. His previous solo-lead openers include "Param Sundari" (₹7.37 crore), "Marjaavaan" (₹7.03 crore), "Yodha" (₹4.25 crore), "Aiyaary" (₹3.36 crore) and "Jabariya Jodi" (₹3.15 crore).
This distinction excludes films with ensemble casts, multiple leads or major co-stars, such as "Student of the Year", "Ek Villain", "Brothers" and "Thank God". By that measure, "The Vvaan" represents a new opening-day high in Malhotra’s solo career.
The film’s performance also appears to have been supported by advance bookings and audiences in smaller and mass-market centres. "Marjaavaan" followed a similar pattern in 2019, posting a strong opening despite mixed reviews.
The key question now is whether "The Vvaan" can maintain its momentum after Friday. Its weekend collections and weekday hold will determine whether its strong start develops into a sustained theatrical run.
