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6 Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah starrer The Vvaan has emerged as a surprise hit at the box office. When the promotional assets of the film were released earlier, the initial trade tracking points indicated a decent opening across urban multiplex markets. The fresh pairing formed curiosity among the audience, however the industry circles predicted the fantasy folklore thriller to be another average release.

The tables turned eventually. As the campaign rolled out, a folk-devotional wave touched grassroots phenomenon through WhatsApp groups and regional feeds. The film released, and it saw a massive response from Bihar, Jharkhand and Patna. The film was initially expected to be a passing breeze upon its release. However, the numbers proved otherwise.

The Vvaan had already collected Rs.46 crore and would close its first week by hitting Rs.50 crore mark. “This is an unusually high performance for a film this size; it’s not a mega-budget release, and look at how it’s doing,” told veteran trade analyst Taran Adarsh. As per Box Office India, the film clocked nearly Rs.1 crore net opening in Bihar on Day 1, establishing itself as the fourth-biggest opening day in the circuit this year, after Toxic, Dhurandhar 2 and Border 2.

While the Bihar markets alone contributed Rs.3.75 crore over the opening weekend, it fueled the film’s lifetime run worth of Rs.10 crore, and resulted in a strong response from the non-traditional belts. In Punjab, industrial hubs like Ludhiana showcased strong hold, fueled by the city’s Bihari lot.

An observation by Bihar-based exhibitor Vishek Chauhan mentioned, “Biharis are practically everywhere across the country now. So wherever you have a concentrated diaspora population — whether it’s industrial Punjab, Delhi NCR or Mumbai — that cultural trigger travels with them, and you see an immediate box-office surge.”

The driving force behind the numbers is not a secret anymore. The four-day festival of Chhath Puja, celebrated widely across Bihar, Jharkhand and Eastern Uttar Pradesh, has also been a prominent pulling factor. Chauhan, who runs Roopbani Cinema in Purnia, says, “I think it was a deliberate strategy by the makers,” and adds, “All over Bihar, this narrative was strong. Chhathi Maiya, as a divine power, works… that’s like Ganpati for Mumbai, Durga Puja for Bengal. That emotional nerve, they’ve hit very nicely.”

The publicity machinery and film campaign pushed the Chhathi Maiya track heavily across the targeted spots through Bihar and Jharkhand. Echoing this devotional magic was the iconic track ‘Pahile Pahil Hum Kaini’, sung by the late Sharda Sinha, who is prominently venerated as the Voice of Chhath.

“Twenty-five days ago, everyone started circulating the song ‘Chhathi Maiya’ on Facebook and WhatsApp. I started seeing posts from handles across the board making that Chhath Puja connection. The momentum started building from there,” Chauhan adds.

Chauhan mentions that The Vvaan is a national film that is “playing out like a very strong regional film.” Ideally, releases like Chhaava and Raja Shivaji do hit business in Maharashtra and a decent business in Bihar. However, The Vvaan played the other way round!

“From day one, during the 9 am morning shows, we had female audiences walking in. Women and families are driving this film in Bihar. We started with three shows on the weekend, and have now made it four,” Chauhan added.

The effect from Bihar has already been translating into metro multiplexes, with curious audiences asking what the excitement is all about!

Backed by some of the country’s most distinctive storytellers, The Vvaan brings together TVF’s Arunabh Kumar, director Deepak Mishra and Ektaa Kapoor for a commercial film that attempts to take Indian folklore into a new cinematic space. While its world is rooted in folklore and fantasy, the film brings together adventure, mystery and humour to shape itself as a complete family entertainer. Presented by Balaji Motion Pictures, a division of Balaji Telefilms Ltd, in association with TVF and 11.11 Production, The Vvaan stars Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah Bhatia. Written by Arunabh Kumar and directed by Deepak Mishra, with Manu Anand as DOP and Visual Director, the film is produced by Shobha Kapoor, Ektaa R Kapoor, Arunabh Kumar and Niraj Kothari. The film is currently running in theatres.

रश्मि सिंह एक अनुभवी पत्रकार और डिजिटल कंटेंट राइटर हैं, जिन्हें हिंदी पत्रकारिता, न्यूज़ रिपोर्टिंग और डिजिटल मीडिया का व्यापक अनुभव है। उन्होंने मास कम्युनिकेशन की पढ़ाई की है और अपने पत्रकारिता करियर में कई बड़े मीडिया संस्थानों और न्यूज़ चैनलों के साथ काम किया है।राजनीति, जनसरोकार, उत्तर प्रदेश की सियासत और समसामयिक मुद्दों पर उनकी विशेष पकड़ है। खबरों को सरल, तथ्यपरक और पाठकों के लिए रोचक अंदाज में प्रस्तुत करना उनकी लेखन शैली की खासियत है। डिजिटल पत्रकारिता के बदलते दौर में रश्मि सिंह का प्रयास है कि पाठकों तक तेज, विश्वसनीय और आसान भाषा में तथ्य आधारित खबरें पहुंचें।

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