Before the cameras rolled on 'Chhathi Maiya', Tamannaah Bhatia went and did her homework. The song, from Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah's fantasy folklore film The Vvaan, weaves the Chhath festival directly into the film's narrative, and the actor says she wasn't willing to just show up and perform.

"I have always held a deep reverence for Chhath Puja," Tamannaah said. "Before we started shooting for the song, I spent time studying and understanding the significance of the ritual and how it is performed in Bihar and Patna." She added that she was "stunned to learn the power it holds" and described feeling "deeply connected" to Chhathi Maiyya during the process, calling the bond something she couldn't quite put into words.

That's not throwaway promo talk. Chhath, according to the makers, sits at the centre of the film's world, not on the sidelines. The Vvaan is built as a story rooted in Indian folklore, mixing adventure, mystery, humour and romance, and the makers are clearly treating the festival sequence as load-bearing rather than decorative.

'Chhathi Maiya' comes out under the Zee Music label, with Vishal Mishra handling both music and vocals and Kaushal Kishore writing the lyrics. Chinni Prakash choreographed the number. It's a lineup that suggests the makers wanted the track to carry weight beyond the frame, not just function as another item in a folklore film's soundtrack.

The film itself is a fairly loaded production. TVF founder Arunabh Kumar has written it, Deepak Mishra directs, and Ektaa R Kapoor produces alongside Shobha Kapoor, Arunabh Kumar and Niraj Kothari. Manu Anand is the DOP and visual director. Balaji Motion Pictures is presenting it, in association with TVF and 11.11 Production. That's three production houses with fairly different sensibilities pulling in the same direction, which is worth watching once the film is actually out.

The Vvaan isn't stopping at the screen either. The makers are also rolling out The Legend of Vvaan, a comic book meant to build out the folklore behind the story, so the film is clearly being positioned as the start of something bigger rather than a one-off.

Sidharth Malhotra and Tamannaah lead the cast, and the film hits cinemas on September 25, 2026. Whether 'Chhathi Maiya' lands as a genuine emotional anchor for the film or just a well-researched detour, we'll find out in a couple of weeks.