The fantasy‑action venture opened with a 9.60 crore haul, outpacing the actor’s previous solo effort and reviving talk of his box‑office pull.
A solid start for a risky fantasy
Sidharth Malhotra’s latest outing, The Vvaan: Force of the Forrest, pulled in roughly 9.6 crore across domestic and overseas screens on its first day. That figure beats the 7.37 crore debut recorded by his 2025 solo vehicle Param Sundari and nudges past the 8.1 crore opening of Thank God earlier this year. Trade circles are already flagging the number as his strongest start in a long while.
The actor’s career has been a carousel of genres – from the campus romp Student of the Year to the gritty thriller Ek Villain. Yet none of those past projects required him to anchor an entirely invented mythology. The Vvaan drops him into a folklore‑laden forest, mixing sword‑play, romance and visual spectacle. It’s a gamble: a brand‑new world with no pre‑existing fan base, and the numbers suggest audiences were willing to take the plunge.
How the opening stacks up
Historically, Malhotra’s biggest first‑day takings sit at 16.72 crore for Ek Villain and 15.20 crore for Brothers. Those were backed by franchise recognition or strong urban appeal. By contrast, The Vvaan’s 9.6 crore is the highest opening for a solo‑lead fantasy film in his filmography. It also places the movie ahead of Param Sundari’s 2025 debut, a benchmark that industry watchers have used to gauge his solo drawing power.
The weekend will be the real test. Early trade chatter points to a possible surge on Saturday and Sunday, especially if word‑of‑mouth holds up. Critics have praised the film’s visual design, while audiences seem intrigued by the mythic setting. If the momentum continues, The Vvaan could climb into the upper tier of this year’s box‑office charts, a space currently dominated by big‑budget masala and franchise sequels.
What this means for Malhotra’s trajectory
A solid opening re‑centers the conversation on Malhotra’s ability to carry a film without the safety net of an established series. It also fuels speculation about his next move – whether he’ll double‑down on high‑concept fantasy or swing back to more grounded fare. The actor’s camp has not commented publicly, but the numbers alone give him use in upcoming negotiations.
The Vvaan’s performance also adds a fresh data point for distributors weighing screen allocation in the coming weeks. A strong weekend could see the film expand to additional multiplexes, especially in tier‑2 cities where fantasy narratives have traditionally struggled.
All eyes will be on the Saturday‑Sunday box‑office report. Will the film sustain its early lead, or will the novelty wear off? The answer will shape not just Malhotra’s standing but also the industry’s appetite for original mythic worlds.
Stay tuned as the numbers roll in and the weekend narrative unfolds.
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