There’s a good film hiding somewhere in The Vvaan – Force of the Forest. The premise has enough going for it a mysterious forest, Indian folklore, faith, a couple yearning for a child and a supernatural force determined to protect its land. The problem is that the film keeps piling on ideas until the central story gets buried under them.

Directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra, the film follows Rishi played by Sidharth Malhotra, a Mumbai-based engineer who travels to his hometown with his wife Mamta played by Tamannaah Bhatia during Chhath. What starts as a relatively straightforward visit soon takes a supernatural turn when Rishi gets caught up in the mystery surrounding Dev Van, a forest the locals consider sacred.